Cheese of the Week: Pont L'Evêque

     Last weekend, our good friends, Ehren and Dave, came to visit us here in Paris. It was wonderful to see them for so many reasons. First, they are great friends (Ehren read a poem written by my fourth-graders in our wedding last May). Second, Ehren and Dave were the first people to know Peter and I were engaged (since we got engaged on our trip out west, visiting them and our friend Kate in San Fransisco in 2009) and third, they love food and wine as much as we do (Ehren was a sommelier in SF and is an expert in southern Italian wines!). It's unbelievable but true that we actually didn't take a SINGLE photo while Ehren and Dave were here! We were too busy eating. We're hoping they'll share some of their photos with us.

Ehren and Caroline on our first trip to San Fransisco in 2007

     Of course, Ehren and Dave were thrilled to experience the market culture here in France, where young and old do their daily shopping at outdoor markets where one can buy not only pies, fresh-baked breads and cheeses, but also skinned rabbits, fresh 2-foot long fish, and duck hearts if one so desired. On Ehren and Dave's last day in Paris, we decided that we must have them experience our very favorite activity in Paris: Un pique-nique dans le Jardin du Luxembourg. We invited a few seasoned pique-niquing friends to join us and we sampled 2010's best baguette in Paris (2011's winner was closed, but our friends Dan and Vikram live near both award-winning bakeries!). Of course, our guests and we had picked out some nice cheeses to enjoy on our picnic.

     The cheese we brought from the market was called Pont-L'Evêque. It's made in the Normandy region. We chose to feature it this week because on Saturday Peter will be heading out to Normandy with his buddies to tour the D-Day beaches and pay hommage to the American soldiers who fought here in France in WWII. 

This cheese is a soft, uncooked cow's milk cheese. It is one of the oldest Norman French cheeses, and was originally known as Angelot. Legend has it that a manuscript from the 13th century claims that every fine meal should include some "Angelot". When the cheese became very popular in the 16th century, it took over the name of the town in which it was produced.

 Pont L'Evêque reached its full AOC status in 1976. There are a number of regulations cheesemakers must follow in order to give their cheese this name. One interesting regulation is that the milk must come from one of the departments surrounding the Normandy area. These departments include:  Calvados, Eure, Manche, Mayenne, Orne and Seine-Maritime. See them on the map below in the Northwest region of the country.

The 101 French Departments

This cheese is similar in flavor to Camembert and Brie cheese, and is produced not far from these. However, it has a slightly "stinkier" scent (in a good way) and a more grassy flavor. It is delicious, though, and is best eaten at room temperature. The rind is edible, and should not be cut off and left in a pile on the edge of your plate.

This cheese is slightly tangy with a good, strong cheese scent without being overpowering. It's a great cheese to bring on a picnic, and is served well on a dessert cheese platter. It goes great with a nice Gamay red wine, or even better with Champagne!