La Fête du Fromage: Charmoix
Oct 13th, 2008 by Danielle
Charmoix comes from those masters of fermentation, the Belgians.
I was in a continental mood as we perused the impressive cheese selection at Formaggio Kitchen last week. Wonderful Husband Charles and I were in the Boston area for a quick getaway, and he’d been informed that the not-to-be-missed spot on my agenda was the venerable cheese purveyor in Cambridge, MA. Formaggio Kitchen is the topic of a future post; for now, we are obliged to talk about a particular cheese, Charmoix, my October offering for La Fête du Fromage.*
Charmoix is a washed-rind, pressed cheese produced by Cooperative Fermière de Mean in Belgium. It’s made with raw cow’s milk and is cave-aged for four to six weeks (closer to six for the wheels that are exported to the US). Charmoix has a delicate, straw-colored rind and a dry paste accented with tiny holes.
At room temperature, Charmoix exudes a yeasty aroma, a moist, sweet scent of warm cream. Though it has been described as stinky, I found it nothing of the sort; even its rind displayed no hint of barnyard funkiness. Rather, it is a meek, quiet cheese, with a mild flavor that expresses lemon zest, salted butter, and chalky stone. It would be overwhelmed by many accoutrements: I think that even green grapes would be too sweet and acidic a partner for the cheese. Charmoix seemed quite friendly with my buttery, ripe Bartlett pear, which made its flavor ever-so-slightly more assertive. It was also complemented by my favorite, mellow peasant bread, the soft chewiness of each combining in a very satisfying bite.
The producers of Charmoix recommend pairing it with a Côtes du Rhone or Arbois red, but I’d prefer a beverage with soft effervescence: lambic beer or a soft-sparkling (crémant) wine with a breath of sweetness.
*La Fête du Fromage is a monthly blogging event hosted by Chez Loulou. You may participate by writing a post on your blog about a cheese you enjoy, and posting the link on Chez Loulou by the 13th of the month. Loulou will post a round-up of entries on the 15th. Participation is rewarded by introduction to a community of cheese lovers from around the world. It’s a lot of fun!
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