Some of the best local cheeses to try are:

Epoisses – A stinky, creamy cheese washed with marc de Bourgogne (so do eat the rind). Make sure you get one that is not too over ripe – tell them when you are planning to eat it.

News flash as of April 2013, M Berthaud (the maker) is now making mini ones, so you can try without committing yourself too much! Do bear in mind though, that the ratio of creamy inside to pungent rind will be different. In fact we don’t like the small ones so much (too much rind) but it’s not a bad place to start.

Great baked too… L’Estaminet bistro in Puligny does what looks like a fabulous baked epoisses. It is really popular but we have not been hungry enough to try one yet!

We have modified slightly a recipe from our great friend Auntie D which takes very crisp salad leaves, adds croutons and crispy lardons and then smothers it in Epoisses (no rind) melted with a little good Burgundy white. Eat immediately!

 

Brillat-Savarin – A soft but really tasty and totally creamy cheese. We have seen grown men change the cheese-love of their lives within seconds of tasting this stuff.

Beautiful with a good white burgundy. The rind (you should eat the rind) tastes like mushrooms.

If you do not want to buy a whole one, better to buy half a big one rather than a small one (same inside to rind ratio).

 

Comte – a hard cheese of the gruyere type but not so sweet.

The taste varies completely depending on the age and we like one that’s in between (say 12 months). This way you get the fruitiness without it having dried out and lost its creaminess.

 

Beaufort d’Alpage – this is best got from Beaune market (see foodie shops) where the lady who makes it comes to sell it.

It comes from single herd milk made only in the summer when the cows are in the mountains. It is nutty, creamy and yummy.

This is also sold by age, like the Comte. It is not allowed to be sold less than six months old.

 

Soumaintrain – a tasty, creamy cheese, closer to a brie.

 

Valencay and Pouligny Saint Pierre – Valencay is a conical-shaped, ash enrobed goat’s cheese.

It is softer and creamier when it is young, more acid and crumblier when older, a delight on the palate.

A similar pyramid shape, without ash and golden coloured is the Pouligny. Again, the younger ones are more subtly flavoured (or flavourless if you like stinky cheese!).

 

Citeaux  is a famous local cheese, made by the monks of Citeaux Abbey – it bears the incription “prayer and work”  on the wrapper.

We find it as bit bland, but lots of people rave about it (you have guessed, we are of the stinky variety!!).

 

Delice de Pommard – this cheese was created by Alain Hess (see foodie shops, Beaune) a few years ago.

It is a soft, but grainy, cheese with a mustard seed coating (he is now doing herb and other coatings too).