A Japanese Twist on French Banon - Cheese Course

by Max Shrem, Posted Jan 26th 2010 @ 5:00PM

Over the past few years, Japanese chefs have been coming to Paris and taking on several aspects of French cuisine, from hamburger d'escargots au foie gras to macarons. Instead of opening up mere fusion-type food establishments, they are creating innovative approaches to long-established French dishes. For instance, Makoto Aoki brings out the juicy flavors of roast pork by adding soy sauce and miso. At a different Aoki shop (not related to Makoto), Sadaharu Aoki, there's white chocolate with sesame and salted caramel truffles with green tea. Even cheese, a dairy product that does not even exist in traditional Japanese cuisine, is being given a new life thanks to renowned Paris-based Japanese affineur Madame Hisada. She creates a new take on the traditional French Banon, a goat's milk cheese from Provence, by aging it in cherry leaves instead of chestnut leaves.

By substituting the traditional chestnut leaf with the cherry leaf, Madame Hisada's chèvre à cerisier has a slightly sweeter taste than a typical Banon, as well as a milder floral aroma. In addition, Madame's Hisada's cheese is not dipped in eau-de-vie – as traditional Banon is -- and as a result, it does not have the same pungent taste of alcohol. Despite these differences in flavor, Madame Hisada's cheese has the same soft texture as a standard Banon. Differences and similarities aside, in what way does the cherry leaf substitution represent a Japanese innovation?

For Madame Hisada – whose French cheese shop in the 16th arrondissement we visited on a recent trip to Paris -- affinage is not just a tactile process of wrapping cheeses in cherry leaves. "For me, working with French cheese provides a new way to express my personal and cultural identity," says Madame Hisada. The choice of cherry leaves is not arbitrary in the least. She tells us that cherry blossom leaves are added to many Japanese desserts, like cherry blossom cake. The cherry blossom also plays a significant role in Japanese culture, showing up everywhere from 17th-century paintings to contemporary anime. We obviously cannot forget the well known cherry blossom festival that happens every year -- it's practically the national tree. So, it's no surprise that Madame Hisada would use this leaf to experiment with the traditional French Banon.

Ever since eating her first aged chèvre from the renowned fromagerie Quatrehomme over 25 years ago, Madame Hisada has been fascinated with the process of affinage, or aging. "I found the changing flavors in cheese incredible," says Madame Hisada. "One particular type of cheese never tastes exactly the same, because it's made up living bacteria and it always changes based on the aging." For this reason, she decided to take on affinage and impart her own personal touch on French fromage.

Although Japanese culinary culture is very different from French gastronomy (consider the absence of milk), both cultures prioritize high quality food. "I think the influences between French and Japanese cuisine are not surprising considering the richness of the two culinary traditions," says Madame Hisada. "We're extremely curious to try new things and to create something that's original." And of course, what Madame Hisada brings to French cheeses, like Banon, is truly unique.

Next time you're in Paris, make sure to visit Madame Hisada's shop at 17 rue Le Marois. Apart from cheeses, she sells interesting condiments and sake (yes, to go along with French cheeses). Unfortunately her goat's milk cheese aged in cherry leaves is not available in the U.S., but you can get a similar treat in the form of Italian cheeses such as Robiola Rossa, which is also aged in cherry leaves.

Filed Under: Cheese Course
Tags: cheese, CheeseCourse, cherries, chevre, paris