The
home of Napoleon produces a very special kind of cheese and then gives it a
poetic sounding name Leur de maquis. Lovely sounding isn't it?
But
the translation is "flower of the maquis" - the maquis being
undergrowth native to Corsica, bristling with brigands, guerrilla fighters and
sheep, all waiting to make some very nice cheese.
Fleur
de maquis was a rather amazing looking cheese - Before you look at the photo
just centimetres below, close your eyes for a moment. Now imagine slipping into
a white mohair jumper as you stand at the top of a grassy knoll (but not in
Dallas OK). Now roll down that hill like you're a kid again. Oh shit! The
grassy knoll has been freshly mowed and some idiot forgot to attach the grass
catcher to the mower!!!
And that, cheeselovers - is exactly what this astounding
cheese looked like.Fleur
de maquis is Corsican sheep cheese rolled in rosemary and juniper berries. The
cheese looks a little like a ricotta and smells incredibly herbaceous.
The
taste was that fresh, clean and slightly sour flavour of a fresh sheep cheese and the texture was creamy combined
with the roughage of the dried, herb coat. I have to admit that I couldn't
taste the juniper berries but then I wouldn't be sure what to make of a cheese
that tastes like Gin. But the rosemary was a winner, a herb long associated
with remembrance - it certainly contributed to a very memorable cheese loved by
all at the table.
No comments:
Post a Comment