Looking for delicious, quick, easy recipes? Look no further. Click here.

Abbaye de Belloc - Le Cheese Course


abbaye de belloc
Abbaye de Belloc. Photo: Max Shrem
This summer Slashfood blogger Max Shrem is apprenticing at renowned Paris cheese shop Fromagerie Trotté. In 'Le Cheese Course,' Max will share his impressions and opinions of French cheese à la francaise!

When it comes to firm sheep's milk cheeses, most Americans are more or less familiar with Italian Pecorinos, like Pecorino Romano, and, of course, the renowned Spanish Manchego. But, in the Ossau valley in the French Pyrenees, cheesemakers also craft unique sheep's milk cheeses, like the famed Ossau-Iraty, and the less known Abbaye de Belloc.

These cheeses stand out due to their particularly sweet delicate flavor and firm, creamy texture that gradually melts on the palate. Among them, Abbaye de Belloc remains a gastronomic gem with its exceptionally well-balanced, smooth, unctuous texture, a result of the milk of the red-nosed Manech ewes (not to be confused with Santa's red-nosed reindeer, Rudolph).

"The best way to appreciate this kind of consistency is to eat a very thin slice," says Fromagerie Trotté's Jean-Philippe Trotte in Paris. "The thinner the slice, the better you'll take in the very sain [French for uncontaminated, healthy and wholesome] taste of the cheese's milk."

If this magical consistency doesn't appeal to a picky palate, then the cheese's multifaceted nutty and fruity flavor are sure to win over the taste buds. It's just plain delicious. What's more, the succession of flavors is followed by an extremely clean finish, like the ideal ending of a harmonious symphony.

Abbaye de Belloc's distinctness can be attributed to the craftsmanship of Benedictine monks at the monastery of Notre Dame de Belloc, who produce the cheese with passion and painstaking care from the milk of sheep from nearby farms. Accordingly, its name is a constant reminder of the monastic tradition involved in creating the cheese.

Luckily, this is not one of the many French cheeses that are nearly impossible to find in the states, like André Bruel's Salers. From New England to New York to California, Abbaye de Belloc is sold for approximately $30 per pound at cheese shops such as Formaggio Kitchen, Artisanal and The Cheese Store of Beverly Hills.

After weeks of covering cheeses that are mostly available in France, we are thrilled to recommend a winner you can likely get at your local cheese store. Don't be sheepish, give it a try!

Related Headlines

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Add your comments

Please keep your comments relevant to this blog entry. Email addresses are never displayed, but they are required to confirm your comments.

When you enter your name and email address, you'll be sent a link to confirm your comment, and a password. To leave another comment, just use that password.

To create a live link, simply type the URL (including http://) or email address and we will make it a live link for you. You can put up to 3 URLs in your comments. Line breaks and paragraphs are automatically converted — no need to use <p> or <br> tags.

New Users

Current Users

Tip of the Day

December may have peppermint bark, but have you thought to incorporate the taste of autumn into white chocolate with a rich pumpkin swirl?

RSS NEWSFEEDS

Slashfood Features


Seasons
Spring (74)
Summer (300)
Fall (272)
Winter (77)
What is it?
Beef (635)
Bread (83)
Candy (520)
Cheese (585)
Chocolate (838)
Comfort Food (807)
Condiments (265)
Dairy (567)
Eggs (321)
Fish (378)
Fruit (1064)
Grains (623)
Herbs (10)
Meat (359)
Nuts/seeds (318)
Organic (5)
Pork (404)
Poultry (464)
Rice (57)
Sandwiches (34)
Shellfish (192)
Soups/Salads (122)
Spices (322)
Sugar (434)
Tea (7)
Vegetables (1414)
Holidays
Christmas (133)
Easter (37)
Halloween (99)
Hanukkah (56)
Memorial Day (15)
Mother's Day (37)
New Year's (41)
Passover (11)
St. Patrick's Day (14)
Thanksgiving (205)
Valentine's Day (50)
News
Food Politics (4)
Bakeries (151)
Books (810)
Business (1287)
Celebrities (242)
Coffee shops (194)
Edible Gifts (39)
Farming (467)
Fast Food (385)
Food News (587)
Health & Medical (873)
How To (1433)
Lists (836)
Magazines (509)
New Products (1589)
Newspapers (1632)
On the Blogs (2522)
Raves & Reviews (1189)
Recipes (2495)
Restaurants (1473)
Science (742)
Site Announcements (186)
Stores & Shopping (1023)
Television/Film (736)
Trends (1440)
Vegetarian/Vegan (96)
Features
Cheese Course (74)
Diary of a Distiller (30)
Dining at Our Desks (8)
Festive Family Feasts (9)
Guilty Pleasures (83)
Quizzes (22)
Raising the Bar (23)
Taste Test (18)
The Hungry Bride (34)
The Skinny Chef (67)
Tinfoil Swan (26)
Tip of the Day (379)
Wild Edibles (22)
X Marks the Spot (1)
Back to School (14)
Cocktail Hour (133)
Cocktail Revolution (0)
Cookbook Spotlight (573)
Cooking Without a Recipe (5)
Culinary Kids (235)
Did you know? (458)
Fall Flavors (138)
Feast Your Eyes (411)
Food Gadgets (485)
Food Oddities (1044)
Food Porn (892)
Food Quest (176)
Foodie Flicks (65)
Frugal Food (95)
Garden Party (28)
Hacking Food (109)
Happy Hour (212)
Head to Tail (44)
In Sixty Seconds (738)
Ingredient Spotlight (60)
Leftovers (53)
Light Food (189)
Liquor Cabinet (186)
Our Bloggers (34)
Pop Food (146)
Pumpkin Day (12)
Real Kitchens (85)
Retro cookery (154)
Slashfood Ate (206)
Slashfood Talks (4)
Slow cooking (55)
Super Size Me (121)
The History of... (72)
What's On Tap? (44)
Wine of the Week (53)
YumSugar (55)
What Time Is It?
Breakfast (757)
Dessert (1371)
Dinner (1388)
Hors D'oeuvres (319)
Lunch (1041)
Snacks (1128)
Where Is It?
America (2663)
Europe (515)
France (178)
Italy (174)
Asia (552)
Australia (158)
British Isles (875)
Caribbean (38)
Central Africa (8)
East Coast (582)
Eastern Europe (45)
Islands (59)
Mediterranean (131)
Mexico (42)
Middle East (63)
Midwest Cities (232)
Midwest Rural (74)
New Zealand (63)
North America (95)
Northern Africa (21)
Northern Europe (66)
South Africa (36)
South America (101)
South Asia (125)
Southern States (307)
West Coast (938)
What are you doing?
Baking (833)
Barbecuing (112)
Boiling (130)
Braising (21)
Broiling (37)
Frying (190)
Grilling (212)
Microwaving (40)
Roasting (105)
Slow cooking (34)
Steaming (45)
Choices
Fairtrade (16)
Artisan Foods (163)
Local Eating (149)
Additives
Artificial Sugars (42)
High-fructose corn syrup (21)
MSG (7)
Trans Fats (58)
Libations
Hot chocolate (27)
Soda (175)
Spirits (425)
Beer (535)
Brandy (13)
Champagne (120)
Cocktails (474)
Coffee (419)
Gin (115)
Juice (126)
Liqueurs (81)
Non-alcoholic (27)
Rum (103)
Teas (185)
Tequila (23)
Vodka (164)
Water (90)
Whisky (119)
Wine (765)
Affairs
Celebrations (108)
Closings (14)
Festivals (89)
Holidays (305)
Openings (51)
Parties (246)
Tastings (163)

RESOURCES

Powered by Blogsmith

Featured Stories

 

Most Commented On (60 days)

Twitter Updates

Updates From

Sites We Love

Other Weblogs Inc. Network blogs you might be interested in:

Also on AOL