Abbaye de Belloc ( eu, Belokeko Abadia) is a French Pyrenees, traditional farmhouse, semi-hard

cheese Cheese is a dairy product produced in wide ranges of flavors, textures, and forms by coagulation of the milk protein casein. It comprises proteins and fat from milk, usually the milk of cows, buffalo, goats, or sheep. During production, ...

from the

Pays Basque The French Basque Country, or Northern Basque Country ( eu, Iparralde (), french: Pays basque, es, País Vasco francés) is a region lying on the west of the French department of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques. Since 1 January 2017, it constitu ...

region, made from unpasteurized

sheep milk Sheep's milk (or ewes' milk) is the milk of domestic sheep. It is commonly used to make cultured dairy products such as cheese. Some of the most popular sheep cheeses include feta (Greece), ricotta (Italy), and Roquefort (France). Sheep breeds S ...

, with a fat content of 60%. The cheese is still made in the traditional manner by the

Benedictine , image = Medalla San Benito.PNG , caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal , abbreviation = OSB , formation = , motto = (English: 'Pray and Work') , foun ...

monks of the Abbaye Notre-Dame de Belloc, in the

commune A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or comune or other derivations may also refer to: Administrative-territorial entities * Commune (administrative division), a municipality or township ** Communes of ...

of Belloc in the Ariège

department Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Government and military *Department (administrative division), a geographical and administrative division within a country, ...

of southwestern

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

. Production of this

Ossau-Iraty Ossau-Iraty is an Occitan-Basque cheese made from sheep milk. Origin Ossau-Iraty or Esquirrou is produced in south-western France, in the Northern Basque Country and in Béarn. Its name reflects its geographical location, the Ossau Valley in Bé ...

cheese is regulated by A.O.C. laws. Abbaye is produced from the milk of a centuries-old breed of red-nosed Manech ewes, particular to the Basque region, delivered by farms neighboring Belloc Abbey. It is believed that these Benedictine monks were the first to teach shepherds from the Basque region how to make cheese many centuries ago. Abbaye de Belloc has a pleasantly nutty and complex flavor that is characteristic of Basque, and is made in a 5 kg fat wheel with a natural, crusty, brownish colored rind with patches of red, orange and yellow. This semi-firm cheese has a dense, rich and creamy texture and a distinctive

lanolin Lanolin (from Latin 'wool', and 'oil'), also called wool yolk, wool wax, or wool grease, is a wax secreted by the sebaceous glands of wool-bearing animals. Lanolin used by humans comes from domestic sheep breeds that are raised specifically fo ...

aroma. Careful attention under the correct maturing conditions accentuates this cheese's rich, caramelized flavors, which sometime resemble burnt

caramel Caramel ( or ) is an orange-brown confectionery product made by heating a range of sugars. It can be used as a flavoring in puddings and desserts, as a filling in bonbons, or as a topping for ice cream and custard. The process of caramelizatio ...

, that can make Abbaye de Belloc so addictive. It pairs particularly well with Pinot Noir, as it is mild enough not to overwhelm the subtleties of this delicate varietal, but also has sufficient complexity to stand up to the bolder flavors of a Syrah/Shiraz.

References

French cheeses Sheep's-milk cheeses Basque cuisine {{France-cuisine-stub