“We know about fruits and vegetables, but cheese is also subject to natural rules related to the seasons,” explains Véronique Socié, cheesemaker and creator of the “Fruitière” in Brussels. “To enjoy a good artisanal cheese, two parameters should ideally be taken into account: the lactation period of the animals and the ripening time.”
Bearing that in mind, here are seven Belgian cheeses which would be worthy additions to any cheeseboard:
Tomme de Stavelot
Tomme de Stavelot is a semi-hard wheel-shaped cheese made from raw milk, making it a good Christmas platter cheese. Its taste is creamy, with a golden rind.
The Troufleur
The Troufleur is a whole raw milk cheese from Montbéliardes cows. It is produced in the Belgian High Ardennes. This raw milk cheese has a sweet, intense and aromatic taste. It can be used for raclettes or fondues.
Coeur de Bellevaux
Coeur de Bellevaux is a raw milk cheese whose name comes from the village where the Bellevaux craft brewery is located and is traditionally shaped as a heart. It has an intense and typical taste, but sweet and rich in aromas also.
The Valèt
The Valèt de Waimes is an organic semi-hard raw milk cheese. The milk comes from a nearby village. Its taste is sweet and fruity and lingers long in the mouth. Its rind is natural and consumable. This cheese is also used for raclettes since it melts particularly well.
The Calendroz
The Calendroz is a round soft cheese with a flowery rind made from raw milk. Rich in aroma, Calendroz is similar to Camembert in its shape and flavours.
Roux des Carmes
Roux des Carmes is a hard wheel-shaped cheese made from raw milk. If its taste is typical, its sale is done in specialised shops and in local markets.
Le Plaisir du Berger
Le Plaisir du Berger is a soft cheese with a flowery rind made from raw sheep’s milk, from the Chemin Châtaigne farm, the same producer as the Roux des Carmes.
