There is an old saying that goes “age doesn’t matter, unless you’re a cheese”. Beyond its attempt to be funny, there is actually a certain truth behind such saying. Aging in cheese, also known as ripening, is actually the most crucial part of cheese making.
Cheese are laid to rest in particularly controlled situations where they are allowed to develop the look, the texture, the flavor, as well as the aroma properties that make them unique. When ripened properly, the bloom blossoms on Camembert, the holes become the classic 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.In principle, the longer the cheese is aged, the firmer, sharper and more distinctive its taste and texture becomes.
The Stravecchio Parmigiano Reggiano cheese for instance is aged for a year to three years, that is why it has 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 cheese is made from pure goat’s milk and is a native delicacy 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. Its soft, creamy center has almost the same texture of ordinary chevre (goat cheese), but Bucheron is far from ordinary.
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.
Its interesting characteristic the layer of gooey cheese around the large chalky core and a thin bloomy layer of mold similar to brie cheese is due 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 tastes perfectly with Bordeaux’s or any other dry. Try the Bucheron cheese toady and sink slowly into heaven!
Find out more about Bucheron Cheese.
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