Featured Cheese! Epoisses

A new feature here at the brain police! Yes, the featured cheese...Today the spotlight is on Epoisses!
A cows milk cheese from Burgundy, soft silky texture with a remarkable scent. It has a complex technique. The milk is collected from cows which have grazed for three months on grass. It is one of the last cheeses made using the technique of coagulation. The young cheeses are washed daily with salt water and then daily with a rinse of salt water and marc de Bourgogne, (local high proof brandy).
This gives a powerful, rich flavor. The marc gives a woody sweetness to the pungent nutty flavor that intesifies as the cheese ripens. The piece pictured above is just about perfect. It is runny, yet still firm. This is a cheese to enjoy after a good meal. Many people think that a white wine goes well with it, I myself, think that a nice fruity red really unlocks the flavor of this cheese.
The cheese was first made by the Cistercian monks in the Abbaye of Citeaux in the heart of Burgundy. Supposedly it was one of Napoleons favorites. I discovered it just this year and now it is a special treat and we look for one that is perfect and will ripen at home!
A small quantity is exported to the United States, it probably is a bit pricey, but it is a real experience and an exciting addition to your plateau de fromage.