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Bucheron: Goat Cheese Worth Trying

29th July, 2010 - Posted by health news - No Comments

There is a saying that goes “age doesn’t matter, unless you’re cheese.” Beyond its attempt to be funny, there is actually a certain truth behind such saying. Ageing in cheese, sometimes called ripening, is the most important part in making cheese.

By letting the cheese to rest in carefully controlled conditions, they are able to develop the look, the texture, the flavor and even the aroma properties that make them unique. With proper ripening, the bloom blossoms on Camembert, the holes magically become into Swiss, and the veins transform into Gorgonzola.

During ripening, microbes and enzymes develop inside that breaks down the proteins and milk fat into different complex amino acids. Thus creating a cheese with a rich texture and an intense flavor.

Usually, cheeses are aged between two weeks to two yeas, sometimes for several years more. Therefore, the longer the cheese is aged, the firmer, sharper and more distinctive its texture becomes.

Cheeses like the Stravecchio Parmigiano Reggiano for example, are ripened for 24 to 36 months, giving it a nutty-fruity taste and a hard, gritty texture. There are some cheeses that are eaten right away, fresh, and not ripened at all, such as the ricotta, cream, and cottage cheeses.

But, some cheeses are ripened “half way through” these cheeses are known as semi aged cheese for about 5 to 10 weeks only. And one of the best tasting semi-aged cheeses available in the market today is the Bucheron cheese.

Bucheron is made from pure goat’s milk, originally a native of Loire Valley in France. The Bucheron is a very popular ingredient for salads and sandwiches because of its distinct taste and is readily available in most grocery stores. It has a soft, creamy center that has almost the same texture as a typical chevre (goat cheese), but typical is the last word that would describe this particular cheese.

What makes Bucheron unique aside from its gooey and creamy taste is that it is made in short logs and aged before it is cut into much smaller rounds. Surrounding its creamy center is a ring of a much harder, tangier cheese that tickles your taste buds with a pretty sharpness and complexity that will surely out your typical chevre to shame.

The Bucheron cheese has a very interesting characteristic it has a layer of gooey cheese around the large chalky core, plus a thin bloomy layer of mold like that of brie cheese thanks to its youth. Softly ripened cheeses age from the outside in, thus explaining its interesting center.

Buying the Bucheron cheese is like buying two different cheeses at once: a creamy, mushroomy center, and a dry, clay-like and tangy fresh goat milk at the crust. It goes perfectly with a Bordeaux’s or any other dry. Try the Bucheron cheese toady and sink slowly into heaven!

Find out more about Bucheron Cheese.