Ossau-iraty
📍 Burgundy-Franche-Comté
🐄 cowsemi-hard
Traditional cheese from the Burgundy-Franche-Comté region.
The cheese
A cousin of Basque and Béarn ewe's tommes, AOP Ossau-Iraty is a pressed uncooked cheese made from raw milk of Manech or Basco-Béarnaise ewes. The rich milk, scented by Pyrenean pastures, yields an ivory paste, firm yet melting, with soft hazelnut, butter, mountain herb and cooked-milk aromas. Aged at least three to six months, it develops a natural orange-to-grey rind and remarkable aromatic complexity. Traditionally enjoyed with black cherry jam from Itxassou, the most famous Basque pairing. Also ideal with red Irouléguy, dry Jurançon or Madiran. On the Pyrenean table, it completes garbure soup, piperade and axoa of veal.