Livarot

Livarot is a soft cheese with a washed rind made from cow’s milk. The cheese was mentioned in some very old documents, with record as early as 1708. It was also known as poor man’s meat because of its flavor and nutritional values.

The curds are cut and kneaded, turned several times after shaping, then drained and sprinkled with coarse salt. It is then washed and turned three times a week during its 4-week ripening period. The rind is brushed with a red-yellow annatto tincture made from the seeds of achiote tree. It is bound with five thin strips of paper to give its distinctive shape, known as ‘the Colonel’.

Livarot is a flat cylindrical cheese with several sizes, usually 5 inches in diameter and 2 inches thick, weighing 12-18 oz. Also available as three-quarter, half and one-quarter Livarot, it has smooth, shiny, orange rind that gradually darkens. The yellow elastic mass has tiny holes. Spicy aroma, it has a strongly spicy, dry and slightly acidic aromatic flavor.

Delicious served with apples and pears, young Livarot goes well with strong white wines such as Chardonnays and well-matured red Burgundy, Gewurztraminer, or strong Pinot Gris. Mature cheese goes well with expressive white wines like Gewurztraminer and also Vendanges Tardives, a strong cider, or Calvados.