If you’ve been watching this past season of “Lost,” you’ll appreciate the Egyptian influence on my cheese of the week, Valencay. (What is up with all the hieroglyphics? And who the hell is Jacob?) According to Steven Jenkins, this pyramid-shaped goat cheese was created for Napoléon during his campaign to conquer Egypt, but when the effort turned south, the Loire Valley cheesemaker, Pierre Jacquin, flattened the top of the pyramid. Apparently, that would help mitigate the blow of Napoléon’s unsuccessful takeover. It still looks like a pyramid to me, but maybe Napoléon (or Jacquin) wasn’t too bright.
You’ll find pasteurized Valencay throughout the United States, and it’s easily recognizable by its shape and gray ash coating. I assume the raw-milk version available in France is superior, as raw-milk cheeses usually are. I wasn’t all that impressed with the wedge I got from Surdyk’s, to tell you the truth. Rather than tasting clean and fresh, like so many young goat’s-milk cheeses, it has an off-putting sour taste that was hard to swallow. I had a similar cheese a few years ago from Whole Foods that I remember liking so much more, so I wonder if this particular piece had been mishandled or had been sitting in the case too long.
Valencay is definitely a white-wine cheese – Artisanal Cheese recommends a Sauvignon Blanc. Anything that could mitigate the sour taste of the cheese would be a welcome pairing!
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There are other explanation for the shape of the cheese. One for that Bonarparte stooed at the castle on the way back from hus loosing Egyptian campaign, disliked the shape of the pyramidal cheese who brought back bad memory, so cut off the top with its saber. That’s largely discredited story… although a cute one. Another explanation is that it’s modeled after the church steeple of the village where the cheese originate from. It’s an unusual steeple. See a (not-too good) photo here (web site in French): http://www.ville-levroux.fr/pages/03sebaladeralevroux/pagecollegiale.html
I wonder indeed if you’ve got a mishandle batch. It should taste indeed taste fresh and clean. Maybe the cheese was not allowed to breath properly?
I love this series – I only band my head that I did not realize you were doing it earlier?
Sylvie
You had a bad piece. The ash covering the outside should look mostly dry…that picture looks pretty awful. It is a very light and fresh-tasting cheese when young, lighter and less sour even than ordinary chevre. It can be aged to the point where it is almost a hard cheese, but only carefully in a cellar; wrapped in plastic in a display case will not do the trick…
That’s why my regular cheesemonger quit trying to stock Valencay – she said it doesn’t travel well and they wound up having to toss 2/3 of every shipment because they weren’t fit too sell. Yet another reason to go to France, eh?
(& Sylvie – glad you’ve discovered us!)
- DCcheese
and I should carefully read what I write before posting it! Sorry for all the typos and bad grammar. I can write better than that…
Yeah, a trip to France sounds like a winner. I am happy to travel as your guide, translator and even luggage carrier! (I know, luggage have wheels now…)
Ew, yucky cheese! I’m glad I only bought half a pyramid then. I’ll toss the rest.
So when is this France trip happening, C? Should I start saving now?
I still want to climb this cheese pyramid even though it looks a little scary. Sorry you got a funky piece….
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