SOUMAINTRAIN LARGE PGI

Name: SOUMAINTRAIN LARGE PGI
Brand: Mons
SKU: 332BX1_WEB
Price: 16 EUR
Availability: InStock

€16.00

Soumaintrain, a washed-rind cheese from Burgundy, a cousin of Époisses in both its melting texture and amber rind. Made in Côte-d'Or.

Net weight: 400 g.

The Affineur's note

Under its orange, slightly tacky rind, the honey-coloured paste reveals a touch of chalkiness at the core, ringed by a layer of cream. The nose carries noble fermentation notes, somewhere between yeast and yoghurt; on the palate, it's tangy and milky at the core, turning more gamey toward the rind. Let yourself be won over by its melting texture with a glass of dry white wine, or, come winter, on a slice of toast alongside a whisky. In the kitchen, it's a natural fit for enriching meat or fish sauces. It pairs well with a spicy red from Burgundy or a blonde beer.

About it

Soumaintrain has had quite the comeback. Struggling in the early 1990s, this cheese, closely related to Époisses, has since found its own identity and its own following, sitting somewhere between Époisses and Langres in Burgundy's great family of washed-rind cheeses. Its size, its texture, and its amber rind, carried by warm, gamey but subtle aromas, are brought out by careful attention in the ageing cave.

The milk, pasteurised, is first matured, then warmed to 22°C before renneting. Coagulation takes at least 16 hours, developing rich lactic flavours. The curd is moulded with a gentle touch, then, after draining and unmoulding, the cheese is dry-salted.

It's the ageing that makes all the difference: once dried in a ventilated drying room, Soumaintrain is washed at least four times in plain, lightly salted water, with no added colouring. This daily attention builds its signature creamy, melting texture, with the characteristic cream layer forming after six weeks.

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