ÉPOISSES ❘ DID YOU KNOW? THE IFFY WHIFF OF SUCCESS With around 350 French cheeses to choose from, Époisses really stands out from the crowd F
PATRICK AMBROSIO
rance certainly produces its fair share of pungent fromages; among them Maroilles, aka ‘le puant’ (the stinker); and Vieux Boulogne, the perennial winner of international whiffy cheese competitions. But none possesses the notoriety of Époisses – the only stinker to be actually banned from the Paris Metro. Or was it? More on that in a moment, but first, let’s go back in time to learn of its distinguished past and its near extinction.
Gooey, pungent Époisses: not to be consumed in confined spaces
KING OF THE STINKERS As is the case with many of France’s washed-rind numbers, Époisses made its debut as a monastery cheese, reportedly as early as the 14th century, in the Burgundian village of the same name. Before long, the nose-wrinkler had conquered the discerning tums of the elite. Napoleon was, by all accounts, a huge fan, while famed gastronome Jean Anthelme Brillat- Savarin declared it “the king of cheeses”. By the 1800s, more than 300 farms were producing Époisses. Then
came the Second World War, and its production – along with many other things – came to a screeching halt. Now faced with the responsibility of working the fields of their family farms alone while their husbands valiantly served their country, women no longer had time for cheesemaking.
Époisses would most likely be history today if it
weren’t for the noble efforts of Robert and Simone Berthaut in 1956. These local farmers assembled a coterie of former Époisses cheesemakers in an attempt to relaunch the – by then – endangered fromage. Their efforts were well received, and in no time, the malodorous cheese had resumed its upward climb to infamy. The Berthaut family remains the largest and best-known producer of Époisses to this day.
CREAMY, DISTINCTIVE, COMPLEX In addition to its full flavour and hefty aroma, Époisses is prized for its seductive texture. This is achieved by the minimal cutting and handling of the curds. These
“BEFORE LONG, THE NOSE- WRINKLER HAD CONQUERED THE DISCERNING TUMS OF THE ELITE. NAPOLEON WAS, BY ALL ACCOUNTS, A HUGE FAN OF ÉPOISSES”
large, custard-like curd squares are hand-ladled into perforated moulds and left to drain slowly, resulting in a high-moisture cheese. Creamy, yet firm enough to cut into a wedge in younger models, a well-ripened version will ooze and run immediately upon cutting. Its terracotta hue and bold, spicy tang are due to repeated hand-washings in Marc de Bourgogne. The taste is distinctive, complex and memorable: a wind-knocking blend of barnyard and meaty flavours accentuated by an underpinning of sweet cream and hay, for a truly one-of-a-kind cheese experience.
SCENTS AND SENSIBILITIES While Époisses is completely at home among a selection of milder after-dinner cheeses, it shines brightly as a stand-alone – and pairs well with an earthy Burgundy Cru or dessert wine. And the theory that Époisses was officially banned from the Metro? As it turns out, this is an urban myth. While French law prohibits any activity deemed “dangerous or offensive” on the Metro, there is no specific ruling per se which bans sharing a carriage with this little Burgundian stinker. However, given its olfactory potency, I wouldn’t be a bit surprised to learn that a few Époisses-toting passengers have been on the receiving end of disapproving looks – or been summarily booted out of their carriage by peeved commuters – over the years. FT
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