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July 6, 2006

Make Bastille Day Special With Unique Cheeses of France!


Goat Cheeses of the Loire Valley

There are several French cheeses named after either the town where they are made or the place in which the milk is produced. Many of these cheeses for which tradition and locale are rooted in the very identity and flavor of the product are protected in both quality and process by the French Government - these are called AOC cheeses.

I must admit that the Loire Valley goat's milk cheeses exported to the US had never charted on my top 10 list of cheeses creating a truly memorable experience. A recent visit to Fromagerie Jacquin, however, didn't just change my opinion of pasteurized, soft-ripened goat's milk cheeses - it prompted a complete re-evaluation of our current supply chain and maturing methods. Going into this challenge, I felt confident that my years of tasting pasteurized Loire Valley cheeses and rock-solid expectations couldn't be shaken. I couldn't have been more wrong... Read more in Tyler's complete blog entry on our website.

And Try These Wonderful Cheeses of the Loire Valley!

  • Selles sur Cher: The quintessential goat's milk cheese -- From the goat fields around the Loire river in the center region of France. $10.50 each
  • Valençay: Valencay is one of the classic mold-ripened chevres from the Loire Valley in the center region of France. $14.75 each
  • Sainte Maure: From the Sancerre region of France, Ste. Maure is often referred to as &cheese on a stick& due to the stick of straw running through its middle. $16.75 each

Artisanal Staff French Cheese Selections

Cabriflore Chevre: From the small town of Celles-Sur-Belle, famed for its extraordinary dairy products, this elegant goat's milk cheese has a wrinkled, natural rind covered in vegetable ash, which cuts Cabrilfore's bright, acidic tang and brings a pleasant balance to the cheese. Delicious!
Cabriflore Chevre $13.75 each Sale $11.00

Epoisses: Made in the small town of Epoisses since the late 1700s. Epoisses is washed with brine for several weeks then finished with wine or brandy. In the Artisanal caves, we wash it an additional three times with Burgundy brandy deepening the flavors of the cheese and guaranteeing a spoonable, silky paste.
Epoisses $18.50 each Sale $14.00

Abbaye de Belloc: Still made by Benedictine Monks at the abbey of Notre-Dame de Belloc with milk from the red-nosed Manech ewes of neighboring farms. Usually sold at 3 to 4 months, but we hold on to it for at least another 3. Proper care in the right maturing conditions will accentuate the rich, caramelized flavors that make this cheese so addictive.
Abbaye de Belloc $23.00 per lb Sale $19.00


Take a Class at the Cheese Center

Cheese Basics

6:30pm-8:30pm; Wednesday, July 26

This unique, hands-on exploration of the world's finest artisanal cheeses is the perfect overview for any beginner. From the history of its accidental creation to its intricate styles and complexities, cheese is back!

What better way to celebrate Bastille Day?

Reserve your spot.


Trivia from the Cheese Caves

Question: What is "fat in dry matter"? What does the abbreviation MG mean in relation to cheese? Which has more fat, ounce per ounce - Brie or Parmigiano-Reggiano?

Find out in the next Artisanal e-newsletter, or find the answer on our website today!
- Tyler Hawes, Artisanal Cheese Buyer

Last Time We Asked: What is cheese, anyway? Is cheese just moldy milk? Are sour cream, crème fraīche, and cream cheese considered cheese?

Answer: Cheese is a rather general term describing curdled milk (or cream). To curdle milk means to separate the whey from the curds. Milk proteins (casein) are ostensibly broken in half. One half precipitates out of the milk, becoming a solid (the curds). The other half remains liquid (the whey), though it ceases to be white. The distinction between true cheese and things like cream cheese, sour cream, mascarpone, creme fraiche, etc. is the way in which the milk is curdled. Milk can be curdled either by acid and/or by rennet. To be considered a true cheese (e.g. cheddar, swiss, brie, et. al.), acid AND rennet coagulation (i.e. curdling) is required...

Read the complete "What is Cheese Anyway?" in The Artisanal Cheese Guide.
See also our description of the major cheese types.

Cheese: A Connoisseur's Guide
For more information we highly recommend Cheese: A Connoisseur's Guide to the World's Best by Max McCalman. Or any of the other fine books in our selection of Books for Cheese Lovers



A Bastille Day Minute

According to Wikipedia: "The Storming of the Bastille on July 14, 1789 was an important symbolic development in the French Revolution. Although at the time the Bastille contained only seven prisoners, its taking marked the beginning of open rebellion against the king. The first anniversary of the event was celebrated by holding the Fête de la Fédération. The Fête de la Fédération is itself commemorated each year in France in an event known in English as Bastille Day, France's national holiday."

Also noted in another Wikipedia reference: "The third episode of the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica TV series is called "Bastille Day". The episode contains themes of political imprisonment and individual rights."