Beillevaire Bonde de Gatine (250g)

Made in the Loire region of France, the prime area for French goats’ cheese production, Bonde de Gâtine is a small drum of goat’s cheese whose origins lie in the Middle Ages. It is most commonly eaten at about three or four weeks of age, when the interior paste is fudge-like and flavors are slightly salty with herbal, grassy notes and a fresh, clean lactic finish. However, if desired, the cheeses can be matured sucessfully for several more weeks, producing a smooth, dense texture, suitable for eating or grating.

A bonde is an old fashioned cork, traditionally used to seal barrels of wine, which accounts for this cheese’s unique drum shape and subsequent naming. Ash-coated with a wrinkled rind, the interior pate is deliciously smooth and rich, bursting with a light, fruity, and earthy tang. With proper maturing in humid cellar, the interior breaks down gorgeously under the rind, creating a dual texture that is unmatched by other cheeses of the region.