Chaource fermier

Peggy and David are the Masters of farmhouse chaource.

This appellation cheese, produced in Champagne by GAEC des Tourelles, is sometimes disconcerting, because once it’s matured, you can’t tell whether it’s mild or powerful.

Its lactic production gives it a tangy, almost sour taste, but the use of whole milk gives it a pleasant creaminess. At the end of the day, it possesses what is defined in the kitchen as a “beautiful” bitterness, which is what gives it its identity and its primary characteristic.

During ripening, when the rind becomes more pronounced, flavor and texture take on greater consistency: the smooth, white, finely grained paste contrasts beautifully with the thin, smooth, flowing layer beneath the rind. He’s now at the top.