Appearance: crust white, rich and regular, lightly reddish tint; interior fine and smooth, white throughout
Texture: rich creamy, supple but not runny
Aroma: scent of mushrooms and cream
Taste: mild and fruity flavor, hazelnut accentuated by a hint of acidity.
(I like the French version better than my English translation)
Syndicat de Défense du Chaource
A l'oeil : croûte à fleur blanche, riche et régulière, à légère pigmentation rougeâtre ; pâte fine et lisse d'un blanc homogène.
Au toucher :pâte onctueuse, souple sans mollesse.
Au nez : légère odeur de champignon et de crème.
Au goût : saveur douce et fruitée de noisette relevée par une petite pointe d'acidité.
You can buy this cheese in supermarkets, boutiques, markets, just about anywhere around here. It's not at all expensive, not the ones I've found. It's made in only a few places up north. It comes in rounds three or four inches in diameter, wrapped in a waxy paper. I think the containers are small because it doesn't keep all that well. That's more of a theory since we both love it and it disappears quickly.
That's what I can say for sure since this cheese keeps changing as it spends more time out of the refrigerator. It's modest and simple when cold, firm, Protestant in a way. It becomes more and more Catholic, if that makes any sense, as it warms up. Its parts divide into a trio, the wonderfully rubbery crust, the gooey layer just inside and the firmer, cream-cheesey interior.
