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Possibly one of the most unique looking cheeses made in Canada, with the flavour to match.
Cheese Name: Le Ballot
Origin: Made by Fromagerie Rang 9 in Plessisville, Quebec, by the Dubois Family. Their principles, determination, entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation, speak to the focus it takes to run a successful cheesemaking business in Canada.
Milk Type: Cow’s milk collected from the neighbouring farms. The family buys milk locally so that transportation is kept to a minimum, controlling their carbon footprint.
Style: This is a semi-firm, washed rind cheese.
Description: Le Ballot (hay bale in French) is a nod to the farming landscape surrounding the fromagerie in the Appalachian Mountains. The cheese is cylindrical in shape and is hand rolled almost like a cheese jellyroll, filled with a thin layer of ash.
Tasting Notes: Le Ballot has a woodsy taste and a lovely brown butter finish. Typical of washed rind cheeses, it is fragrant and a little earthy, but it has a unique texture perhaps due to the unique method of rolling the cheese before maturing it.
Pairing: The fromagerie notes that it is nicely complimented by dried cranberries and toasted nuts in a salad. That makes sense to me, and I think other slightly sweet and savoury accompaniments like onion jam or cranberry chutney would also be very good.
GOW suggested wine pairings:
