One of my biggest regrets about my time spent studying abroad in France is that I did not eat NEARLY enough cheese. I mean, I couldn’t have known that I would someday become a cheesemonger, a Certified Cheese Professional, but still! Ah, well. I guess that I’ve just got to go back and make up for it then! Without too much further ado, I want to introduce you guys to a cheese that my host mom presented to me on one of my first night’s there, and that hails from the region where I studied abroad- and lastly, who has made it’s way into my list of absolute favorites: l’Edel de Cleron!
Country of Origin: France- the Franche Comte region, to be exact (and to be even more exact- from the city of Cleron!)
Milk Type: Pasteurized cow’s milk- moooo!
Rennet Type: traditional, like many European cheeses (sorry, vegetarians!)
Without a doubt, this silky, ooey, gooey small wheel of deliciousness is one of my newest favorite cheeses. Made in the same style as the French great, Vacherin Mont d’Or, Edel is wrapped in a band of bark before it is sent to age. Unlike Vacherin, Edel is made from pasteurized milk- which means that because of FDA standards, cheese lovers in the United States can’t have Vacherin Mont d’Or (she’s made with raw milk, and aged less than 60 days)- but Edel is a great stand-in, which they CAN have!
Edel has a softly blooming rind- you can see just a hint of white fuzz on top of her, and almost every wheel that I’ve seen manages to retain a very smooth top shell. The flavors are AMAZING! Buttery, every so slightly mushroomy, grassy... delicious! Because she is made with pasteurized milk, some of the flavors are a bit more muted than one finds in Vacherin, but that only serves to make Edel more approachable to more. And really, who can resit such an ooey, gooey, silky paste!? Not I! I’m planning on taking home one of the last wheels that we have, crisping up some potatoes in duck fat, and then tossing them in Edel before throwing them in the oven to bake. Top with some pork belly, and you’re set for a perfect warming winter meal!