"What,
no Wensleydale?!".
...Wallace
The diverse dairy farms of Normandy have for centuries been a source of some of the world's greatest cheeses. Below are some of my personal favourites, cheeses that deliver the taste and fragrance of the Normandy farmland.
Le Camembert
Known the world over, the Camembert, (pronounced
cam-on-bear,) of Normandy, named after the town of its
origin, is a rich, creamy, full flavoured and fragrant cheese,
possessing a strong dairy flavour with a hint of apple and a long
finish releasing farmyard notes.
Most Camembert sold in the United States is a pale
imitation of the real raw milk AOC Camembert available
in France. One Camembert,available in the States,
that I find very satisfying, even though it is made from pasteurised
milk, is Le Châtelain.
It seems, though, that Le Châtelain is
sold in the States in two grades, so be careful. To assure youself of
quality, open the box and look for a gold seal applied to the cheese
itself.
Le
Pont-l'Évêque
My personal favourite, Pont-l'Évêque,
(pronounced pohn-liv-eck,) is a moderately strong
cheese with an assertive farmyard fragrance and posessing a piquant
rind and a sweet nutty flavour with herbal and garlic notes and a long
finish releasing pronounced farmyard notes.
Le Livarot
Not for the faint-of-heart, Livarot, (pronounced Lee-vah-roh, although my brother-in-law pronounced it leave-the-room,
)
is a strongly flavoured cheese with
an equally strong bouquet. If the fragrance of Pont-l'Évêque
suggests farmyard, then that of Livarot would
suggest manure-pile. Nevertheless, it is a very rewarding gustatory
experience, opening with a sweet nuttiness and finishing with herbal,
dandelion, and pungent farmyard notes.À Table
These cheeses are traditionally eaten at the end of the meal, with a slice or a chunk of bread and accompanied by a dry red wine or a cidre bouché.
