Petit Basque Cheese

As I've mentioned before, I love all kinds of cheese (even the "cheese" that comes wrapped in individual squares of cellophane and has all those warnings on the package that it is, in fact, edible).  One of my favorites is called Petit Basque (aka Tomette D'Helette) and I was first introduced to it by my grandfather at Christmas several years ago.  I always keep an eye out for it and was pleasantly surprised when i visited Cowgirl Creamery at the Ferry Building in San Francisco and found that they had it.  I was even more excited as the woman explained to me that their Petit Basque was unique in that their cheesemaker adds a little bit of chili powder in the rind as it's aging, which gives it a little kick of flavor.  Once I learned this, I had to have a chunk to take home and try.  Needless to say, it was love at first bite and I finished off the entire chunk by myself over the course of a week.

Here's a picture of the chunk I brought home, you can almost see the hint of red from the chili powder:

 

Here's a closer picture of the slices of cheese that come from my chunk:

I don't know what it is about the taste Petit Basque that I love but it has a texture like creamy parmesan cheese.  I did a little research on the internet and here's some additional "facts" that I learned about this cheese I enjoy so much:

• Type:  Sheep milk (comprised of 45% fat)
• Origin:  Pyrenees Mountains, France
• Process:  brined for two hours and then ripened 70 days
• Texture:  smooth and firm
• Shape:  Cylindrical, weighing approximately 1.25 pounds
• Color:  Butter yellow
• Rind:  Thin and covered with thin plastic to prevent mold
• Flavor:  Mild, nutty and slightly fruity
• Petit Basque is made in the Pyrenees Mountains using the same techniques that local shepherds used hundreds of years ago BUT Petit Basque has only been around since 1997, a relatively "new" cheese on the scene.

Because I love this cheese on it's own, I usually eat mine with Carr's table crackers so that the cracker doesn't interfere too much with the creaminess and flavor of the cheese.  When I do feel like jazzing it up a bit, I eat it with some raspberry jam since the sweetness of the jam goes well with the nuttiness of the cheese.  Vive la frommage!