It’s time once again for the monthly International Fête du Fromage hosted by Chez Loulou. Now that I am no longer limited to specific French regions, I don’t even know where this one comes from! But that doesn’t make for a very interesting post. Hang on…
(20 minutes later, you know how Wikipedia is) Couronne Lochoise is from Loches, a small commune in the Loire valley. It is a raw-milk goat’s cheese in the shape of a doughnut. I mean crown. The name means “Crown of Loches,” but I’m having a hard time finding out much more about this cheese. I chose it because I liked the shape, and I was certain that I’d never had it before. The rind is thin and a little bit moldy, which gives it a sharp, zippy flavor. The firm white cheese inside is smooth and buttery, really good, although it might be a bit nondescript without the rind. And the shape, which is not only fun, but one of the most intuitive-to-cut cheeses I’ve found. (Really, I find cheese cutting etiquette baffling at times. Cue flatulence jokes.)
Before I embarrass myself any further, I’m just going to tell you to head over to Loulou’s on the 15th for the roundup, which will hopefully feature some more informative posts than this one.
Originally published on Croque-Camille.
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donut cheese FTW!
When I first started my program in Aix-en-Provence senior year of college they gave all the American students an etiquette class, which is included a whole section on cheese cutting! (Er, you know what I mean.) It really is quite complicated. I didn’t dare be the first to serve myself the cheese course for quite some time!
That cheese looks amazing! I love a good tart goat cheese. Since it’s a raw-milk cheese it’s probably not available in the states. So disappointing!
whats4lunch – I know! With a shape like that, how could I not buy it?
Hopie – Wow, do they really think Americans are that uncouth? 😉
Jessica – Probably not, but I like to think that with the artisanal food movement gaining strength in the US, perhaps raw-milk cheeses will be legal sometime soon.
I have had good luck finding great cheese at Farmer’s Markets here in Portland. Some of them are made with raw milk, but I think the law allows it to be sold directly by the maker. Thanks for sharing about the ones in France Camille, looks tasty!
LauraTurtle – Goody! That makes me hopeful for my eventual return to the States (I’m already fearing the cheese and bread withdrawal).
Ah, cheese cutting etiquette! 🙂
Had a discussion about this subject recently.
I really loved la Couronne. Found it ultra creamy and not too goaty. Glad you enjoyed it as well. Thanks for joining in la Fête!
Jessica – I’ve seen it for sale from Fromages.com. http://fromages.com/epicurian_cheese_shop_detail.php?id_fromage=703
Hope you can get a hold of some!
Loulou – It’s my pleasure, as always. And thanks for the link – I hope it helps out my American readers!
Your post made me smile 🙂 I think I would like the ‘zippy’ taste of the rind on this cheese.
Susan – Thanks!
This looks very interesting not just the shape but the colour & texture too. I like your descroption of the taste “zippy”, that appeals too.
Hope you get the chance to look at what Normandy has to offer.
Maggie
I loved to eat du fromage when I lived in France, especially if a friend had brought it in from some farm in Normandie.
Maggie – I spent a couple of days in Rouen last summer and had a wonderful time! It was part of my regional French explorations – each month last year I “visited” a different region. Here’s the post I did on cheese that month: https://croquecamille.wordpress.com/2009/07/27/fromages-de-normandie/
Tasteofbeirut – Oh, yeah, I bet cheese direct from the farm is fantastic!
Thank you thank you for sharing this cheese! 3 years ago I spent some time in the Loire valley and of course visited a bustling market. I bought some local goat cheeses, one of them being this one. We never took note of the name and of course I’ve never seen it here at home, but have always wanted to know what it was called as I wanted to try to find it on a recent return to France. Now I know! It remains one of my favourite French cheeses while travelling. Love Loire goat cheeses!
Tami – So glad this helped! I’m a big goat cheese fan, too, and the Loire Valley certainly makes some of the best!