{"id":7454,"date":"2021-01-01T14:02:09","date_gmt":"2021-01-01T18:02:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cheeselover.ca\/?p=7454"},"modified":"2021-01-02T13:25:45","modified_gmt":"2021-01-02T17:25:45","slug":"most-memorable-cheese-2020","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cheeselover.ca\/index.php\/2021\/01\/01\/most-memorable-cheese-2020\/","title":{"rendered":"Best Bites: The Most Memorable Cheese of 2020"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_7456\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7456\" style=\"width: 665px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-7456\" src=\"https:\/\/cheeselover.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/louis-heavy-gxk-2010-1024x714.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"665\" height=\"464\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cheeselover.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/louis-heavy-gxk-2010-1024x714.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cheeselover.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/louis-heavy-gxk-2010-300x209.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cheeselover.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/louis-heavy-gxk-2010-768x536.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cheeselover.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/louis-heavy-gxk-2010-1536x1072.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cheeselover.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/louis-heavy-gxk-2010-2048x1429.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/cheeselover.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/louis-heavy-gxk-2010-665x464.jpg 665w, https:\/\/cheeselover.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/louis-heavy-gxk-2010-373x260.jpg 373w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 665px) 100vw, 665px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7456\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>A wheel of Louis d&#8217;Or is no lightweight! It weighs in at 40 kilos or close to 90 pounds.<br \/><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>I was first introduced to Louis d\u2019Or when, during a visit to Fromagerie du Presbyt\u00e8re some 10 years ago, Cheesemaker Jean Morin (at left in photo) handed me a wheel.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>\u201cHave some cheese, Georgs,\u201d he said, with a chuckle.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>I almost sank to my knees!<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Louis d\u2019Or is made in 40 kilogram wheels. That translates to close to 90 pounds of cheese, not the easiest thing to manhandle.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Jean had just started making Louis d\u2019Or, inspired by what he saw and learned from old-world cheesemakers in the Jura Mountains that straddle the border between France and Switzerland, the home of renowned Comt\u00e9 cheese.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>He told me he had high hopes Louis d\u2019Or would become equally famous in Qu\u00e9bec and Canada. \u201cIt has the right taste,\u201d he assured me.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>The past decade has proven him right. Louis d\u2019Or has become widely known and praised for its fine, complex flavours. It\u2019s one delicious cheese!<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7459\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7459\" style=\"width: 500px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-7459\" src=\"https:\/\/cheeselover.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Louis-D-or-cropped.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"449\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cheeselover.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Louis-D-or-cropped.jpg 744w, https:\/\/cheeselover.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Louis-D-or-cropped-300x269.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cheeselover.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Louis-D-or-cropped-665x597.jpg 665w, https:\/\/cheeselover.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Louis-D-or-cropped-290x260.jpg 290w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7459\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Award-winning Louis d&#8217;Or made by Fromagerie du Presbyt\u00e8re.<br \/><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Louis d\u2019Or has been recognized as a world-class cheese. It has won the prestigious Caseus competition in Qu\u00e9bec and the Canadian Cheese Grand Prix. At the most recent Canadian Cheese Awards, it was crowned Canadian Cheese of the Year<\/p>\n<p>This past year I\u2019ve had the good fortune of enjoying Louis d\u2019Or\u2014after nine months of aging, after 18 months and two years, and even after three years. It only gets better with more time spent in the former Roman Catholic church in the village of Sainte-\u00c9lizabeth de Warwick that Jean Morin has converted into a state of the art space for affinage.<\/p>\n<p>The church sits across the street from the family dairy farm, Ferme Louis d\u2019Or, and is adjacent to the former rectory which Morin purchased in 2005 to start up <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fromageriedupresbytere.com\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Fromagerie du Presbyt\u00e8re<\/span><\/a>. (Presbyt\u00e8re is the French word for rectory.) Cheesemaking takes place in the former rectory which also houses fromagerie offices. The expansive new retail store is just down the street.<\/p>\n<p>Cecilia Smith of <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/cheesebycecilia.com\">Cheese by Cecilia<\/a><\/span> in Uxbridge, Ontario, gets to taste a lot of cheese over any 12-month period. In the culinary arts program at George Brown College in Toronto, Cecilia has taught classes leading to the Professional Fromager certificate since 2014 as well as cheese appreciation and cheese pairing courses. She herself received the Professional Fromager Certificate from George Brown eight years ago and has worked as a fromager at Monforte Dairy and The Passionate Cook\u2019s Essentials in Uxbridge<\/p>\n<p>Earlier this year she was a judge at the 2020 cheese and butter competition held by Royal Agricultural Winter Fair. On Sundays during the summer months, Cecilia operates a market stall at the Uxbridge Farmer\u2019s Market where she features Ontario\u2019s best artisan cheeses.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7464\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7464\" style=\"width: 500px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-7464\" src=\"https:\/\/cheeselover.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/masons-delight-1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cheeselover.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/masons-delight-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cheeselover.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/masons-delight-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cheeselover.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/masons-delight-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/cheeselover.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/masons-delight-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cheeselover.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/masons-delight-100x100.jpg 100w, https:\/\/cheeselover.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/masons-delight-665x665.jpg 665w, https:\/\/cheeselover.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/masons-delight-260x260.jpg 260w, https:\/\/cheeselover.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/masons-delight-200x200.jpg 200w, https:\/\/cheeselover.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/masons-delight.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7464\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Mason&#8217;s Delight made by River&#8217;s Edge Goat Dairy in Southwestern Ontario.<br \/><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cMy most memorable cheese this year was Mason\u2019s Delight from River\u2019s Edge Goat Dairy,\u201d Cecilia told me. \u201cThe marble interior is stunningly beautiful, the cheese sweet and tangy with a lovely umami finish.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Mason&#8217;s Delight is a bloomy rind (think Brie or Camembert) goat cheese that has layers of vegetable ash running throughout. A rectangular cuboid shaped cheese that makes it simple to slice into eye catching slices. Vegetable ash not only looks amazing in cheese, it also balances the natural acidity of the cheese. Some people have said that this makes the cheese easier for them to digest.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Welcome To River&#039;s Edge Goat Dairy\" width=\"665\" height=\"374\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Mn-__L2YSfw?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>In 1999, Katie Normet and her family purchased an abused and abandoned piece of land near Arthur, Ontario. After six years of building and land improvement, <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.goatmilkproducts.ca\">River&#8217;s Edge Goat Dairy<\/a><\/span> was established in 2005.<\/p>\n<p>Today, goals of the farm are to continue to improve the land, educate the public about food and farming, preserve Ontario farmland and, of course, to make the best cheese possible.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s been a blast to have Jackie Armet working with me from the very beginning of <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/cheesefestival.ca\">The Great Canadian Cheese Festival<\/a><\/span> and then the <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.cheeseawards.ca\">Canadian Cheese Awards<\/a><\/span>, as Cheese Co-ordinator in charge of all things cheese.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7467\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7467\" style=\"width: 500px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-7467\" src=\"https:\/\/cheeselover.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Alfred-le-Fermier-copy_1_0_t.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"247\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cheeselover.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Alfred-le-Fermier-copy_1_0_t.jpg 580w, https:\/\/cheeselover.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Alfred-le-Fermier-copy_1_0_t-300x148.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cheeselover.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Alfred-le-Fermier-copy_1_0_t-525x260.jpg 525w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7467\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Alfred Le Fermier made by Fromagerie La Station in Quebec&#8217;s Eastern Townships.<br \/><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Her most memorable cheese of 2020 has been Alfred Le Fermier which she considers a staple, like cheddar.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cIt\u2019s woodsy, with hazelnut flavours and a flowery finish. It can be used in any recipe that calls for cheese. But I do prefer most cheese straight up on a cheese board. That\u2018s the best way to enjoy it.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Alfred Le Fermier is made with organic raw milk from Holstein cows at <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/fromagerielastation.com\/en\/\">Fromagerie La Station<\/a><\/span> on the Bolduc family farm in the Eastern Townships of Qu\u00e9bec. It\u2019s a firm, cooked pressed cheese with a washed rind.<\/p>\n<p>The cheese proudly carries the name of the family\u2019s great grandfather, Alfred Bolduc. Alfred Le Fermier<em>\u00a0<\/em>symbolizes a family tradition whose mission is to cultivate the soil, live on it and hand it down to future generations in even better condition.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7469\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7469\" style=\"width: 500px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-7469\" src=\"https:\/\/cheeselover.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/SaintAgur.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"427\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cheeselover.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/SaintAgur.png 757w, https:\/\/cheeselover.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/SaintAgur-300x256.png 300w, https:\/\/cheeselover.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/SaintAgur-665x568.png 665w, https:\/\/cheeselover.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/SaintAgur-304x260.png 304w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7469\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Saint Agur made in the Auvergne region of central France.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>There is one imported cheese in the roundup this year: <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.savencia-fromagedairy.com\/en\/marque\/saint-agur\/\">Saint Agur<\/a><\/span>, a blue made with pasteurized cow&#8217;s milk in the mountainous Auvergne region of central France. Says Jackie:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cIf you are not a fan of blue cheese, this is the gateway of blue cheese to get you there. With such a smooth creamy texture and a subtle spicy flavour, it will tempt you to try it again. Just add a glass of Port and you have a match made in heaven.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>A highlight of the cheese year for me personally\u00a0 was meeting, via social media, a young cheesemaker in Saskatchewan and getting to taste his cheese.<\/p>\n<p>Kevin Petty was visiting Sion, Switzerland, for a friend\u2019s wedding a few years ago when he was first inspired to get into cheese after being exposed to some of the best artisan cheesemakers in the world. Since then, he has learned from cheesemakers across Canada including Brother Alb\u00e9ric from the trappist monastery near Holland, Manitoba. He tells his own story in this brief video:<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Saskatoon man learns from monk how to make cow&#039;s milk cheese\" width=\"665\" height=\"374\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/qGp7muG7Ji8?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Kevin calls his cheese Caerphilly-style because \u201cI started with a Caerphilly recipe but then I&#8217;ve changed it quite a bit over two years to make it my own.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe cheese is made with raw cow\u2019s milk, mostly Holstein. It\u2019s aged on spruce boards for a few weeks and then vac-sealed. I started with a caerphilly recipe but I&#8217;ve made little changes over a couple years, just trial and error, trying to make something with a nice texture and taste. I kind of went where it was leading me without much of a plan.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7470\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7470\" style=\"width: 500px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-7470\" src=\"https:\/\/cheeselover.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/saskatoon-copy-1024x819.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cheeselover.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/saskatoon-copy-1024x819.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cheeselover.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/saskatoon-copy-300x240.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cheeselover.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/saskatoon-copy-768x614.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cheeselover.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/saskatoon-copy-1536x1229.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cheeselover.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/saskatoon-copy-2048x1639.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/cheeselover.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/saskatoon-copy-665x532.jpg 665w, https:\/\/cheeselover.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/saskatoon-copy-325x260.jpg 325w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7470\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Caerphilly-style cheese made by Kevin Petty at Saskatoon Spruce.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>At <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/saskatoonspruce.com\">Saskatoon Spruce,<\/a><\/span> Kevin currently produces his original Caerphilly-style cheese as well as an applewood smoked version and a seasonal stout version<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>My first impression: It&#8217;s tasty cheese. The Saskatchewan take on the Welsh take on cheddar.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>The 5-month version certainly has more depth of flavour and character than the younger cheeses I tasted. Wonder what it would be like at 9 months and older?<\/p>\n<p>We also asked Kelsie Parsons about his best cheese memories of 2020. He\u2019s in charge of <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sobeys.com\/en\/departments\/cheese\/\">cheese and deli at Sobeys<\/a><\/span> stores across Canada and served as a judge at the 2020 cheese and butter competition held by Royal Agricultural Winter Fair. Here\u2019s what he had to say:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cMy best bites of 2020 were not about specific cheeses but rather moments shared with others, such a rarity this past year. I reminisce of enjoying cheese during a euchre game with neighbours mid-March (pre-lockdown), and on a summer hike with friends (there were 0 active cases in our county at the time). The flavours of a well-crafted cheese shine so much brighter when enjoyed during\u00a0special moments with others.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWishing all a year of health and happiness, and, when it&#8217;s safe to do so, a chance to re-connect with friends and family over some lovingly produced Canadian cheese.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Which is a very nice way to conclude our annual round-up of memorable cheese moments of the year just ending.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: right;\"><em>\u2014Georgs Kolesnikovs<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Georgs Kolesnikovs, Cheese-Head-in-Chief at CheeseLover.ca, founded Canadian Cheese Awards and The Great Canadian Cheese Festival.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I was first introduced to Louis d\u2019Or when, during a visit to Fromagerie du Presbyt\u00e8re some 10 years ago, Cheesemaker Jean Morin (at left in photo) handed me a wheel. \u201cHave some cheese, Georgs,\u201d he [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":7474,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10,279,532,359,533],"tags":[],"brand":[],"class_list":["post-7454","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-alfred-le-fermier","category-louis-dor","category-masons-delight","category-saint-agur","category-saskatoon-spruce"],"post_mailing_queue_ids":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cheeselover.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7454","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cheeselover.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cheeselover.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cheeselover.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cheeselover.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7454"}],"version-history":[{"count":28,"href":"https:\/\/cheeselover.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7454\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7493,"href":"https:\/\/cheeselover.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7454\/revisions\/7493"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cheeselover.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7474"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cheeselover.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7454"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cheeselover.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7454"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cheeselover.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7454"},{"taxonomy":"brand","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cheeselover.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/brand?post=7454"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}