World Cheese Encyclopaedia - Each Sunday learn all about a new cheese.

This week Le Petit Fiancé des Pyrénées from France.

Country: France 🇫🇷

Region: Ariège

Made from: Goat’s milk

Pasteurised: No

Texture: Smooth, firm, runny

Taste: Nutty, salty, earthy, goat

Certification: No

Aging: 3 months

Le Petit Fiancé des Pyrénées is a pressed, natural rind, unpasteurized fermier goat's cheese. It was created by Marie-Suzanne and Philippe Garros at the Cold Del Fach farm in Loubières, in Ariège in the Pyrénées. It's unusual in that it's a goat cheese made in the style of a Reblochon - a cow's cheese. It is also pressed during production, instead of being drained as is the case with many goat cheeses.

It comes in a round disc shape weighing 400 grams. It is about 10 centimeters in diameter and 3 centimeters thick. It has a washed rind which is orange or beige in color with some spots of blue and a pale white furry down. The rind is not too firm and is edible. During production, it is washed with salt water with annatto added for colour as well as Geotrichum Candidum which balances the intensity of the tint.

The paste is an ivory cream color with a smooth, silky, gooey but firm texture. It becomes a bit runny at room temperature, but can be drier near the rind. Its flavor is goat, nutty, yeasty, and earthy. It also has salty and floral tones.

Le Petit Fiancé is sometimes also called Col de Fach by cheesemongers after the name of the farm where it is made.

History

Philippe and Marie-Suzanne Garros are a pair of cheesemakers in the Pyrenean massif. They make very original cheeses with velvety, melting and creamy textures such as tomme Cabrioulet, Cabri Ariois, and the Little Fiancé of the Pyrénées.

More than thirty years ago, at the beginning of the 1980’s Philippe Garros wanted to move back to the region where he was raised from Auvergne. He chose a remote location in a long valley and cleared the ground, created pastures and built his dairy from scratch. In the mid-’90s Philippe met his wife Marie-Suzanne a singer from Quebec, Canada who was on tour in France. In 1992 they created the "Little Fiance of the Pyrenees", as a tribute to their meeting.

How to Enjoy It

Le Petit Fiancé is a nice addition to a cheeseboard. It would also go well with charcuterie such as prosciutto. It pairs best with light red wines such as a Mâcon from Burgundy, pinot noirs or if you prefer white, it can pair well with Pinot Gris from Alsace.

Sources: cookipedia.co.uk, quiveutdufromage.com, androuet.com, ayearinfromage.com, cheesed.com, osterpeler.no, vinatis.com

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