Cheese of the Week: Livarot

Last week, when we had a French friend over for dinner, he brought us a special treat: cheese! As a faithful reader of our blog, he knew about our slight obsession with cheese, and that Livarot was one we hadn't sampled yet. The photo above depicts the somewhat mangled remains of our very first Livarot.

Livarot is an exact cross between the Maroilles and the Langres. It’s very pungent both in scent and flavor, but is a little less strong than the Langres. Rather than having a bitter, nutty aftertaste, it is slightly sweeter while retaining an aroma that matches the Langres in strength. The Livarot is much more manageable to eat, but be sure to put it away immediately after slicing your portion: the scent will quickly take over the kitchen and may last awhile. Keep it in a ziplock bag!

Livarot is made in the Normandy region in Northwest France, and it comes from cow's milk. It is sold in small, round cylinders and its orange-red rind is wrapped in rings of reeds, which help prevent the cheese from collapsing during maturation . These reeds resemble the stripes on a colonel's uniform, giving the cheese the nickname "The Colonel". It is recommended that Livarot is allowed to sit out for 10 minutes before serving, and it goes well with a plate of fruit, like sliced apples and pears or grapes.

photo from www.ookaboo.com