A superb goat cheese from France’s Basque Region! Starting in 1983, the Onetik cheese dairy in Macaye, France has been using milk collected throughout the region to make outstanding cheeses. While the region is often known for sheep’s milk cheeses such as Ossau Iraty (and the famous cherry gateau basque!), Chabrin Tomme is an excellent representation of a southern French goat cheese.
Chabrin is grassy, sweet, and slightly tangy. When left out at room temperature, it can be slightly oily—you might even be thinking that you are eating a sheep’s milk cheese! However, the texture is void of the typical chalky-ness that you often find in a goat’s milk cheeses and instead is smooth due to the fact that it is pressed like an alpine and aged for 90 days. We recommend serving with a minerally white French wine such as a Sancerre.
Country/Region: Macaye, France
Style: Basque
Milk Type: Pasteurized Goat's Milk
Age: 3 months
Rennet: Animal
Texture: Medium-hard, creamy but not spreadable.