Livarot

The cheese

Nicknamed the "colonel" for the five sedge-reed bands wrapped around it (like officer's stripes), AOP Livarot is one of Normandy's most powerful cheeses. A soft-ripened washed-rind cheese, it is made from raw or pasteurized Norman cow's milk. At least 3 weeks of ageing with repeated brine washes, sometimes with annatto, gives it its bright orange-red rind and its characterful, almost animal aroma — but a tender, unctuous pale cream paste with intense aromas of fermented milk, cooked butter, spice and byre. An aromatic intensity reserved for lovers of powerful cheeses. Ideal regional pairings: a Pays d'Auge cider, Pommeau or an old Calvados to finish a meal.