Ossau-Iraty is an
Occitan Occitan may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to the Occitania territory in parts of France, Italy, Monaco and Spain.
* Something of, from, or related to the Occitania administrative region of France.
* Occitan language
Occitan (; o ...
-
Basque 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, ...
made from
sheep milk.
Origin
Ossau-Iraty or Esquirrou is produced in south-western France, in the
Northern Basque Country
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 ...
and in
Béarn
The Béarn (; ; oc, Bearn or ''Biarn''; eu, Bearno or ''Biarno''; or ''Bearnia'') is one of the traditional provinces of France, located in the Pyrenees mountains and in the plain at their feet, in southwest France. Along with the three Bas ...
. Its name reflects its geographical location, the
Ossau Valley
The Ossau Valley (French: ''Vallée d'Ossau''; Gascon: ''Aussau'' / ''la vath d'Aussau'') is a valley of the France, French Pyrénées, in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques ''departments of France, département''.
Administration
18 communes of France, ...
in Béarn and the
Irati Forest
The Irati Forest, found in the western Pyrenees, covers of the Navarre region, astride on the Soule ( Larrau) and Basse-Navarre ( Mendive and Lecumberry) provinces (France) and Navarre (Spain), framed by Mount Okabe (1,466 m) and Pic d'Orhy (2 ...
in the
Basque Country
Basque Country may refer to:
* Basque Country (autonomous community), as used in Spain ( es, País Vasco, link=no), also called , an Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Spain (shown in pink on the map)
* French Basque Country o ...
.
AOC status
It has been recognized as an
appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) product since 1980. It is one of three sheep's milk cheeses granted AOC status in France (the others are
Roquefort and
Brocciu). It is of ancient origin, traditionally made by the shepherds in the region.
Production
Production techniques are very much in the essence of old world methods whereby the sheep still graze mountain pastures. The milk must come from the breeds
Basco-béarnaise,
Red-face Manech, or
Black-face Manech. This is an uncooked cheese made through pressing. When offered as a farm-produced cheese (known as ''fromage fermier'', ''fromage de ferme'' or ''produit fermier'') the AOC regulations stipulate that only raw, unpasteurized milk be used.
* 3,067 tonnes (in 2003)
* 60 producers (in 2003)
* 8 manufacturers: private industries and cooperatives (in 1998)
* 2,045 milk producers (in 1998)
Description
According to the official description, the cheese crust is yellow-orange to gray, and the body color ranges from white to cream depending on how it has been matured. It is smooth, creamy and firm, and may have some small
eyes (openings).
See also
*
Idiazabal cheese
*
List of sheep milk cheeses
This is a list of sheep milk cheeses. Sheep milk cheese is prepared from sheep milk (or ewe's milk), the milk of domestic sheep. The milk is commonly used to make cultured dairy products, such as cheese.
Sheep milk cheeses
* Abbaye de B ...
References
{{French cheeses
French cheeses
Sheep's-milk cheeses
French products with protected designation of origin
Cheeses with designation of origin protected in the European Union
Basque cuisine