What is on your Mt Rushmore of cheeses?

[KennethT]

  On 4/12/2025 at 8:44 PM, FrogPrincesse said:

Tough one. I love goat cheese so I’d probably start with crottin de chavignol (fresh or aged, it’s wonderful with a glass of Sancerre). Humboldt Fog is nice but its inspiration, Valencay, knocks it out of the water. Also a good Pouligny-Saint-Pierre which has a truncated pyramid shape like Valencay, but without the ash. And a Selles-sur-Cher to rounds things off. 
It would be nice to have a couple of sheep cheeses too, Corsican brin d’amour or fleur du maquis with dried herbs, and maybe a really fine fiore sardo (a type of pecorino). This is making me SO hungry.
Lastly I am adding a Mont d’Or so I can have some cow milk-based cheese in my selection.

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ooohhhh that's a tough choice - Valencay or Selles-sur-Cher?

[FrogPrincesse]

@KennethT Does one have to choose? I love Valencay; the texture and tangy flavor are just perfect in my opinion, and the shape is striking. But I spent many weekends and summers in the area where Selles-sur-Cher is produced and used to buy it directly from a very small farm where I could see the small herd of goats who produced the milk, so it has a special place for me!

Note that these 2 places are only 15 minutes from each other.

[KennethT]

  On 4/12/2025 at 9:58 PM, FrogPrincesse said:

@KennethT Does one have to choose? I love Valencay; the texture and tangy flavor are just perfect in my opinion, and the shape is striking. But I spent many weekends and summers in the area where Selles-sur-Cher is produced and used to buy it directly from a very small farm where I could see the small herd of goats who produced the milk, so it has a special place for me!

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Love this

 

 

  On 4/12/2025 at 9:58 PM, FrogPrincesse said:

Note that these 2 places are only 15 minutes from each other.

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Yes, I know. We spent about a week in the area and sampled lots from small farms. By the time we flew home they had to roll us on the plane.

[Shel_B]

  On 4/12/2025 at 8:44 PM, FrogPrincesse said:

[...] Humboldt Fog is nice but its inspiration, Valencay, knocks it out of the water. Also a good Pouligny-Saint-Pierre which has a truncated pyramid shape like Valencay, but without the ash. And a Selles-sur-Cher to rounds things off.

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Thanks for mentioning those cheeses. I'm not a cheese maven by any standard, but I enjoy experimenting. I'll look for these cheeses ... we have a couple of great cheese shops in the area and maybe I can find one or two locally, which would be ideal.

 

 

[FrogPrincesse]

  On 4/12/2025 at 11:37 PM, Shel_B said:

 

Thanks for mentioning those cheeses. I'm not a cheese maven by any standard, but I enjoy experimenting. I'll look for these cheeses ... we have a couple of great cheese shops in the area and maybe I can find one or two locally, which would be ideal.

 

 

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You are welcome. These can be hard to find, especially in good condition. It’s all about proper storage and affinage. French goat cheeses I have bought at cheese shops in my area haven’t been up to par, sadly. Ask for a sample first if they will give you one.

[gfweb]

  On 4/13/2025 at 12:05 AM, FrogPrincesse said:

You are welcome. These can be hard to find, especially in good condition. It’s all about proper storage and affinage. French goat cheeses I have bought at cheese shops in my area haven’t been up to par, sadly. Ask for a sample first if they will give you one.

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If it is a store devoted to cheese and they won't give you a taste... I'd leave.

[FrogPrincesse]

Well, some cheeses are sold whole, so they cannot easily give you a sample.

[gfweb]

  On 4/13/2025 at 1:42 AM, FrogPrincesse said:

Well, some cheeses are sold whole, so they cannot easily give you a sample.

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good to know  

Edited April 13 by gfweb (log)

[gulfporter]

Queso de cabra.  Goat cheese.  

 

It's cheap and  plentiful here due to the large goat population for the ever popular birria de chivo.  

 

I use it in quesadillas, over pasta and in grilled cheese sandwiches.