Québec's exciting cheeses
There are more than 100 cheese-makers in the province of Québec, the most of any in Canada, and they are producing some of the most exciting artisan cheeses in the New World, from washed-rind stinkers to creamy blues. That comes as no surprise, given the province's cheese-loving French DNA. Unfortunately, few of the best - especially those made from raw milk - are widely available in the States.
There are more than 100 cheese-makers in the province of Québec, the most of any in Canada, and they are producing some of the most exciting artisan cheeses in the New World, from washed-rind stinkers to creamy blues. That comes as no surprise, given the province's cheese-loving French DNA. Unfortunately, few of the best - especially those made from raw milk - are widely available in the States.
That just means you'll have to visit some of the fine cheesemongers of Québec City. To sample some with a majestic view of the St. Lawrence River, take a plush perch in the Château Frontenac's 1608 Wine and Cheese Bar and snack from a board laden with any of the dozens of local cheeses (and charcuterie) listed on an iPad menu and kept behind the sliding glass doors of its vaultlike cellar. The best bets for retail riches, meanwhile, are the brimming case at charming Épicerie Jean-Alfred Moisan (695 Rue Saint-Jean, 418-522-0685), founded in 1871, and billed as the oldest grocery in North America. La Fromagère du Marché in Québec's Vieux-Port public market (160 Quai St-André, 418-692-2517, Ext. 238) is also well-stocked with more than 100 varieties from Québec alone.
Here are six special cheeses worth packing an ice chest for the trip home:
Le Bleu d'Élizabeth, Fromagerie du Presbytère: This award-winning raw-milk bleu has it all, a bright tang and soft fruity finish from its blue-green veins, and a spreadable creaminess rich with hints of hazelnuts. Though it's made of cow's milk, it reminds me of a good Roquefort.
Louis D'Or, Fromagerie du Presbytère: Modeled after the hard mountain cheeses of the Juras, this 9-month-aged, 88-pound wheel is made from raw cow's milk from the Louis D'Or farm, and shows surprising elegance and complexity.
Alfred Le Fermier, Fromagerie La Station de Compton: Named for the family's great-grandfather, Alfred Boldu, this Alpine-style, raw-cow's-milk round has an orange rind and a firm yellow center that is at once earthy, nutty, and floral.
Brebichon, Les Fromages du Verger: The creamy paste of this soft, sheep's-milk cheese has an appealing freshness, but it's the sticky orange rind, washed with cider, that gives it an edgy, pungent orchard swagger.
La Tomme du Kamouraska, Fromagerie Le Mouton Blanc: Made by cheese-maker Pascal-André Bisson from shepherd Rachel White's raw sheep's milk, these small semisoft rounds are aged in rocky subterranean cellars for four months, and have a tangy center and a delicate earthy crust reminiscent of some of the Basque country's best.
Gris Bleu Ciré, Les Dependences: A curiosity that's actually two cheeses in one - a semi-firm, pasteurized, goat's-milk cheese with ash layered atop a parsleyed blue made from raw cow's milk. The two complement each other rather than compete, like a creamy, salty, almond-scented, "gray-blue" dairy trifle.