La Fête du Fromage - Cathare

The Occitan Cross, the omnipresent symbol of the Languedoc, is displayed on everything from the regional flag, street signs, T-shirts and sweatshirts, key chains, bumper stickers, graffiti and even cheese. Yes, cheese.

Voilà Cathare.


This distinctive fromage de chèvre fermier was created in 1995 at La Ferme de Cabriole in the Lauragais. It is home to about 120 Saanen goats which graze in the pastures surrounding the farm for 8-10 months of the year and produce a whopping 2½-5 liters of milk a day, per goat.

Underneath the layer of ash lies a luscious, unpasteurized cheese with a creamy, velvety smooth, almost liquid texture that simply melts in your mouth. Cathare is sold after 2 weeks of affinage, resulting in a flavor that is mild, slightly buttery and salty, with soft hints of chèvre. As it ages, the goat flavor becomes more pronounced and the texture more firm and dry.

This is a truly delightful cheese and I can't recommend it more highly!

A dry white wine would be a good match.