Jersey du Fjord

Jersey du Fjord is a firm cow-milk cheese produced by Les Bergeries du Fjord located in Quebec's Saguenay area.

Jersey du Fjord gets its name 'Jersey' for the breed of cow-milk and 'Du Fjord' from the geological fjords formed along the deep, cold waters of the Saguenay River that links Lac St. Jean to the Saint Lawrence. 

Jersey du Fjord is inspired by the traditional English Cheshire cheese, a dense semi-hard cheese produced in the English county of Cheshire. Cheshire is made in the form of a cylindrical wheel that is as high as it is wide. It distinguishes itself by its moist, crumbly texture with small crevices punctuated through the paste. This feature is related to its manufacturing process where the curd is milled and therefore lacks consistency.

Jersey du Fjord is produced in a 20 kg (44 lbs.) wheel that is aged 10 months. The natural rind is golden coloured speckled with gray mildew and the crumbly paste has a butter coloured hue. It has a mild, salty taste with a slight marine aroma with a hint of orange zest and a lingering slightly sharp aftertaste.

The Jersey breed of cows is a small, docile breed of dairy cattle that is popular for the high butterfat content and high percentage of protein in its milk.

Les Bergeries du Fjord produces the award winning Jersey du Fjord along other farmstead cheeses, such as La Blanche Du Fjord and La Belle de Jersey. The dairy is located in La Baie, Quebec.

Photo Source: http://www.ukagriculture.com

Le Tire-Lune

Le Tire-Lune is a raw goat-milk cheese from Québec’s first certified organic goat farm Cassis et Mélisse located in the Chaudière-Appalaches region. This 4 kg mountain style semi-cooked firm paste tomme has been aged between 3 to 6 months on pin boards. Le Tire-Lune has a brown coloured natural rind that is spotted with pinkish flecks. It has a fruity taste with hints of butter and hazelnuts and a delicious lingering hint of goat in the mouth.



The certified organic farm Cassis et Mélisse is run by Aagje Denys, a Belgium agronomist who started up the goat farm in Saint-Damien-De-Buckland, Québec over twelve years ago with her partner Gary Cooper. Cassis et Mélisse produce a variety of hand-ladled fresh goat milk cheeses as well as the lovely refined semi-firm washed rind Le Galarneau.

Located less than an hour's drive south of Quebec city, situated between a forest and lake, the Cassis et Mélisse farm also rent out a 2 bedroom suite "L'Appentis de la fromagère" for overnight stays on the twenty hectares organic goat farm.

http://www.fromagechevre.ca

Photo source: http://sofadeco.com

Extra Old Île-aux-Grues Cheddar

This 2 year old cheddar is a firm non-pasteurised, pale yellow, sharp-tasting, cow's milk cheese from Île-aux-Grues, Quebec.

Cheddar cheese is named after the village of Cheddar in Somerset, located in South West England where it was originally made. The name "Cheddar cheese" is widely used around the world and has no Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) within the European Union.

Cheddar cheese has been produced since the 12th century, however in Canada it was first made in the 19th century. The manufacture of Cheddar cheese includes the process of 'cheddaring' which makes this cheese unique.

Cheddaring refers to an additional step in the production of Cheddar-style cheese where, after heating, the curd is kneaded with salt, cut into cubes to drain the whey then stacked and turned. Strong, extra-old Cheddar, needs to be matured for up to 15 months.

The Fromagerie Île-aux-Grues located in the heart of Quebec's majestic St. Lawrence River, have been making cheese for over 35 years. The history of the dairy is closely linked to agricultural production, the main economic activity of the island. In 1976 the island's dairy farmers formed a cooperative to protect their agriculture and their terroir. Today, their farms produce quality milk exclusively for the production of cheese on the island.

As well as producing mild, medium, sharp and extra-sharp cheddars the Fromagerie Île-aux-Grues have developed an extraordinary line of fine artisanal cheeses including; Le Riopelle de l'Isle, Le Mi-Carême, La Tomme de Grosse-Île and Le Canotier de l’Isle.

This extra sharp Cheddar from L'Île-aux-Grues has matured for two years. It is off-white in colour and has a firm dry and granular paste and a pronounced lingering nutty flavour.

L'Île-aux-Grues 2 year old Cheddar can compliment any cheese platter. Try it in your favourite grilled-cheese sandwich, with Apple Pie, Apple Cheddar Soup, Zucchini Bread or this delicious Tomato Cheddar Pie.

http://www.fromagesileauxgrues.com/

For more information on the manufacture of Cheddar cheese check out:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manufacture_of_Cheddar_cheese

Ossau-Iraty

Ossau-Iraty is a classic sheep milk cheese made in the French Pyrénées.

Ossau-Iraty has a natural rind with hues ranging from pale yellow, to golden-orange to light gray. The ivory colour pâte is an uncooked, pressed paste that is supple and creamy when young and becomes more firm and crumbly as the cheese ripens. Ossau-Iraty is creamy and buttery in the mouth with wonderful complex nutty flavours with hints of fruits and herbs.

The cheese's name Ossau-Iraty, reflects its dual origin: Ossau in the valley of Bearn, with its long history of Basco-Béarnaise breed of sheep, and Iraty the wooded hills of the French Pays Basque, home to the black and red-headed Manech ewes.

Ossau-Iraty received its Appelation d'Origine Controlee (A.O.C) nomination in 1980. AOC stipulations for making Ossau-Iraty cheese includes, the production of a specific sheep milk of the region, the manufacture and ripening of the cheese and of course the exclusivity to the specific geographical area.

During the affinage process of Ossau-Iraty, the cheese must be salted, it is washed in a brine, which enables the cheese to form a rind, then the cheese is placed in a cave d’affinage with regulated temperatures between 6 to 15°C and a high humidity level of 75%. During the ripening stage, the cheese rinds are then brushed with salt and some are brushed with a purée de 'Piments d'Espelette', a red chili pepper purée.

Another stipulation by AOC is the cheese must be aged at least 120 days before consumption for wheels weighing 4 to 7 kilos and 80 days for the smaller wheels of 2 to 3 kilos. Fromagerie Agour one of Ossau-Iraty producers age their wheels anywhere between 4 to 17 months.

Fromagerie Agour located in the Basque village of Hélette, France produced the winning Ossau-Iraty that was crowned the World Champion Cheese at the World Cheese Awards in 2006 and again in 2011, in Birmingham, England.

Pictured above is Ossau-Iraty aux Piments d'Espelette. Espelette is a variety of chili pepper that is cultivated in the French commune of Espelette, in the Atlantic-Pyrénées. The Espelette pepper was classified an AOC product in 2000.

Ossau-Iraty pairs well with many wines, especially a white Jurançon or Sauvignon Blanc or a French red Madiran or Merlot.

http://www.ossau-iraty.fr/

Sheep photos source: http://www.3srbreeding.eu/

Avonlea Clothbound Cheddar

The Avonlea Clothbound Cheddar is a farmstead type cheddar from Prince Edward Island that is made using the traditional English cheddar making methods.  The cheddar is wrapped in cloth to age, yet it is allowed to breathe and remain moist.

This pasteurized cow’s milk cheddar aged 18 months is somewhat crumbly but creamy in the mouth, with a smooth earthy flavour with a distinct pleasant tang.

The Avonlea cheddar pairs well with Guinness beer or a nice Portuguese port.

The Avonlea Clothbound Cheddar is produced by Scott Linkletter of COWS Creamery in Charlottetown, PEI. COWS is also well known for their famous ice-cream.

http://www.cowscreamery.ca/

http://www.cows.ca/avonleacheddar

Alfred Le Fermier

Alfred Le Fermier is an excellent organic raw cow milk artisanal cheese from Fromagerie La Station de Compton.

Alfred Le Fermier has a lovely orange tinted yellowish washed-rind that produces a nice woodsy rustic aroma due to the cheese having been ripened for eight months on spruce boards. The cooked, pressed, firm, golden paste leaves delightful nutty, butter and floral lingering flavours.  

Alfred Le Fermier pairs well with a California fumé blanc.

Alfred Le Fermier cheese is named in honour of Alfred Bolduc.  Mr. Bolduc was the first of the family four generations ago to settle in Compton, in the Eastern Townships of Quebec.  An eye-catching silhouette of Alfred Bolduc is pressed into every wheel of cheese the Fromagerie La Station make.  Fromagerie La Station produces excellent farmstead organic cheeses and raclette.

Read on my visit of Fromagerie La Station de Compton

http://www.fromagerielastation.com/

Manchego

Manchego cheese from Spain's La Mancha region is made from the whole milk of the Manchega ewe.

This "delicious-slightly piquant and nutty" cheese has a long historic tradition being mentioned by Cervantes in the legendary "Don Quixote of La Mancha".

You are more likely to find a pasteurized industrial Manchego at your local cheese shop aged from 6 to 12 months. If you have the chance to get your hands on some artisanal handmade raw milk Manchego aged (12 months or more), try it... it’s a whole different experience!

The Manchega breed of sheep, descend from the Ovis Aries Ligeriens type of sheep. The Manchega sheep are usually white but black fleeced sheep with white spots on their heads can also be found. There's no difference in the quality of the milk the two varieties produce.

The Manchegas grazing on the peculiar native wildlife is what gives Manchego its classic flavor and means that it’s impossible to make it properly away from that area.

http://www.cheesefromspain.com

Sheep photo source: http://nutritionwonderland.com

Louis D'Or

Louis D'Or is an organic raw cow milk cheese with a washed rind and a firm pressed cooked paste.

Louis d'Or is a huge 40 kilogram wheel farmstead cheese made by Fromagerie du Presbytère in Sainte-Elizabeth-de-Warwick, Québec. Inspired by the traditional cheese-making know-how from the Jura region, the cheese-maker Jean Morin created an amazing cheese.

The Holstein and Jersey cows at the organic Ferme Louis d'Or are fed dry hay daily. The pastures provide the herd with clover, timothy grass, bluegrass and other organic grains. As a result of this, the milk used to produce the cheese is of exceptional quality. The 9 month aged cheese has a smooth texture, warm nutty and floral notes in both aroma and taste. The 24 month aged Louis-d'Or soft yellow paste show small crystals infiltrating its smooth texture leaves you with more complex lingering flavours.

Louis d'Or is the winner of numerous cheese awards. It was chosen "Grand Champion" at the 2011 Canadian Cheese Grand Prix, 3rd place award for “Best in Show” at the 2011 American Cheese Society cheese competition and Golden Caseus at the 2010 and 2012 Selection Caseus.

http://www.fromageriedupresbytere.com/
 

Lindsay Bandaged Goat Cheddar

The Lindsay Bandaged Goat Cheddar aged 12 months is deliciously sharp with still a smooth texture and a wonderful complex lingering flavor.

This cloth bound goat milk cheddar tied for Second place award for “Best in Show” cheese at the 2011 American Cheese Society cheese competition this August in Montreal.

Mariposa Dairy out of Lindsay, Ontario is the proud cheese makers of the Lindsay Bandaged Goat Cheddar. The cheese plant is owned by Bruce & Sharon VandenBerg who started the dairy in 1989.

http://www.mariposadairy.ca/