Another spectacular soft aged cheese, Epoisses

[masraum]

Neither of the photos are mine. Both were pulled from the Internet.

Epoisses de Bourgogne

"The origins of the Epoisses can be found at the Abbaye de Citeaux. It is here that the monks first produced this remarkable complicated cheese. We are told that Napoleon was partial to this cheese and ate it with Chambertin wine. It was very popular in the early part of the twentieth century but disappeared during the second world war. It was only in 1946 that two local Bourguignon families started to produce it. The well known Epicurean Brillat Savarin called it the King of cheeses. Many people consider it one of the most interesting French cheeses. It is often compared to the character of two well known French historic personalities, the Epoisses has the force of Charles le Temeraire and the sensibility of Madame de Sevigne. The cheese has a powerful rich flavour with a pungent smell; the pate, a mouth watering taste of sweet, salty and creamy milk flavours. The pate is fine textured. The rind is regularly washed in Marc, this adds to its complexity and fascinating taste."

The version that I had.



After letting it come to room temp for about 4 hours, it's almost as liquid as a good ripe Brie. It runs and is smooth and rounded, but when you try to scoop some out, it is cohesive and stretches into a long, gooey string almost like good hot pizza cheese.



It does, the rind especially, have a bit of a pungent odor, but it's not nearly as stinky as some cheeses that I've had. I've had some Bries and other soft ripened cheeses where the rind smells and tastes very strongly of ammonia, but this one doesn't, maybe, very, very mildly.

I'd seen it at the store a while back and took a photo so I could look it up when I got home. After reading about it, I thought "You've got to try that cheese!". It was $22 for an 8.8oz round at Whole Foods, but it is totally worth it.

As early as the 16th century, Cistercian monks aged a semi-soft cow cheese over many weeks, washing each disk in brine and brandy (marc de Bourgogne). Small farmers adopted the local recipe following the French Revolution, and by 1900 there were 300 farms in Burgundy selling the regional cheese. Brillat-Savarin named Epoisses ‘The King of Cheese.’ Two world wars and modern agriculture brought a rapid collapse to artisan cheesemaking, especially labor-intensive varieties like Epoisses.

The Berthaut family saved Epoisses from extinction

The dramatic rescue began in 1954, when Simone and Robert Berthaut, two farmers from the eponymous village, saved the ancient recipe from a dying generation of farmer’s wives and brought it back from the brink of extinction. The 1991 AOC certification law - Appelation d’Origine Controlée - formally fixed the criteria for Epoisses, assuring the world will not be deprived of a gastronomic treasure.

[Holger]

Yummy!

[tabs]

Probably would be great for Nachos.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by tabs

Probably would be great for Nachos.

It was, with some beans, jalapenos, shredded beef and pico de gallo.

[javadog]

You wasted that cheese on nachos? Wow...

Raw milk or pasteurized?

JR

[PorscheGAL]

That looks great. It is my understanding that the Federal Govt requires all cheese coming in the US to be pasteurized.

[motion]

Originally Posted by PorscheGAL

That looks great. It is my understanding that the Federal Govt requires all cheese coming in the US to be pasteurized.

That is correct, as far as I know also. I have never found real cheese in the USA.

I bought some fancy NorCal brie at Costco a few days ago. $9 a wheel, which isn't bad by USA standards, but about 4X the rate in France. It is absolutely tasteless and without character. No better than the Presidente crap sold in grocery stores.

[PorscheGAL]

I order my cheeses online from Murray's

They have a pretty good selection. One of my favorites is Selles Sur Cher. First had it in London and although it is pasteurized here, the taste is fairly close.

[David]

Being the boyscout that I am, when US customs asked if I had any food from my trip to Spain, I said, "yes, cheese." They said OK and didn't even ask to see it.

[javadog]

Originally Posted by PorscheGAL

It is my understanding that the Federal Govt requires all cheese coming in the US to be pasteurized.

That is true, but some does get in. I don't ask how, I just thank them and buy it.

I don't think domestic producers are required to use pasteurized milk, so I buy more of their cheeses now than I used to, especially since there are now domestic producers that know what they are doing.

Gotta get back to France one of these days...

JR

[tabs]

Originally Posted by javadog

You wasted that cheese on nachos? Wow...

Raw milk or pasteurized?

JR

I think maybe Mac and cheese would be good also.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by javadog

You wasted that cheese on nachos? Wow...

Raw milk or pasteurized?

JR

Hell no. Plain on a cracker with some wine. I was just rollin' with the trollin' from Tabbie.

Originally Posted by PorscheGAL

That looks great. It is my understanding that the Federal Govt requires all cheese coming in the US to be pasteurized.

That's true but with a caveat. If the cheese is made with raw milk, then it must be aged more than 60 days. If it is made with raw milk and aged for more than 60 days, then it can be brought in.

Originally Posted by javadog

That is true, but some does get in. I don't ask how, I just thank them and buy it.

I don't think domestic producers are required to use pasteurized milk, so I buy more of their cheeses now than I used to, especially since there are now domestic producers that know what they are doing.

Gotta get back to France one of these days...

JR

RE: pasteurized, see above, it's all about the aging time, at least WRT imported cheese. You may be right about the domestic stuff.

I would love to get to Europe to try a bunch of cheese. I'm certain that everything from Brie to Stilton is quite different "at home" than it is here, and I would love to try it closer to home.

[javadog]

I'm glad to hear that you did not waste such a nice cheese.

There used to be a cheese shop in Tulsa that had around 180 cheeses available on any given day. I spent a fair amount of time and money there and often found raw milk soft cheeses. No idea where they got them. It made me wonder just how much or how little attention food products get when they are shipped through FedEx and the like. I may try that sometime.

Food in Europe is on an entirely different level than the US. We might have better beef, but they have better "everything else." Cheese, bread, cured meats... you just can't believe it. They take food far more seriously than we do and spend the time to enjoy it. I have a bucket list of destinations when I go back. Ive seen the architecture and the scenery; the next trip is going to be based around lunch and dinner, for several weeks. I'll fill in the time between meals at art museums.

The one country I might skip is Germany. I actually managed to find some cheeses and breads there that I couldn't stand, which I did not think was possible. I also got sick after eating some sausages, which I can't imagine happening in France, Italy or Spain.

JR

[motion]

Originally Posted by javadog

The one country I might skip is Germany. I actually managed to find some cheeses and breads there that I couldn't stand, which I did not think was possible. I also got sick after eating some sausages, which I can't imagine happening in France, Italy or Spain.

JR

If you're going for food only, just stick to France, Italy and Spain.

[javadog]

That would be the plan...

JR

[SCadaddle]

The Gold Standard in cheese for me. Highly recommend!



https://msucheese.com/products.cfm?code=1

[mthomas58]

Picked up some Epoisses at Whole Foods today. Anxious to give it a try. Pretty stinky - I could smell it in the car all the way home.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by mthomas58

Picked up some Epoisses at Whole Foods today. Anxious to give it a try. Pretty stinky - I could smell it in the car all the way home.

I'm curious to read what you think. Mine didn't seem that stinky to me, but the cheese was excellent. I let it sit out to get to room temp for about 4 hours before I ate it.

As far as stinky cheeses go. I tried a Limburger once. I don't know what the quality was because it came from a regular grocery store. I didn't/couldn't eat it. I tried a small bite or two and then tossed it.

The Epoisses wasn't remotely in the same olfactory territory.

I read about these recently, and find it pretty hard to fathom the first one.

Stinking Bishop

This cheese is washed in fermented pear juice, and its rind is so intensely flavored that it must be removed before eating the paste (interior).

Serra da Estrela

A sheep's milk cheese from eastern Portugal, Serra da Estrella is renneted with thistle, giving it complex herbal flavors. When the Portuguese speak of the smell of this cheese, they use the phrase, "whiff of the tail," which gives you a pretty good idea of the stinky factor.

Munster d'Alsace

Like the Époisses, this is a cow's milk cheese washed in wine. It is aged in high-humidity caves in Alsace, which is located in northeastern France near the German border. When refrigerated it has a toasted grain taste, but when you leave it out at room temperature (as it's meant to be eaten), the aroma blooms to a smell that could be described as post-workout underarm stinky

[id10t]

Originally Posted by peteremsley

That looks really good.

Motion - we got a reasonable brie at Wholefoods the other day. Quite gooey and tasty.

There is a cheese maker that comes to the local farmers market that makes some interesting stuff. The names all seem to be new and made up though.

Welcome to copyright and trademark law class....

[mthomas58]

Originally Posted by masraum

I'm curious to read what you think. Mine didn't seem that stinky to me, but the cheese was excellent. I let it sit out to get to room temp for about 4 hours before I ate it.

I'll be sure to report back after the tasting. I love a good stinky cheese. I'd prob say it was more aromatic than stinky - a more positive description. When it comes to room temp is it runny or will it hold its form? ( Assuming I cut cracker sized portions. )