Quebec’s Belle de Jersey cheese is named in honour of one of the Jersey cows whose milk is used in its production. Known as “Miss Personality” of the herd, Belle (the cow) has been a frequent award winner in agricultural competitions including the Royal Winter Fair. Following the fortune of its namesake, Belle de Jersey, a soft, washed-rind cheese made from raw Jersey milk, has already won silver at the 2009 International Jersey Cheese Awards and this year was thrust onto international palates when it was served as part of the Canadian cheese plate at the G20 summit. Impressive for a fromagerie that only began making cheese in 2007.
Belle de Jersey is made at Les Bergeries du Fjord in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region of Quebec. The farm and fromagerie are co-owned by brothers Claude and Martin Gilbert and Josée Gauthier, Martin’s wife. The milk arrives in the morning from farmer Pierre Girard’s nearby farm. He finishes milking by 7 a.m. and by 7:30 the milk has been delivered to the fromagerie and is being processed into cheese.
Les Bergeries du Fjord was originally a hobby farm owned by Martin and Claude’s family. The brothers bought it from their parents in 2000 and spent two years writing plans for dairy sheep production and cheese making. They started by milking sheep in 2003 and selling that milk to other cheese makers. In 2006, when they felt they had the quantity and quality of sheep milk they needed to make their own cheese, they started building the fromagerie. Realizing that the sheep couldn’t produce enough milk to keep up with the factory’s capacity, the partners turned to Jersey cows to add to their repertoire.
The inspiration for Belle de Jersey is the famous raw milk Reblochon cheese. Similar in texture to Brie, it is an AOC designated, washed-rind wheel that hails from the Haute-Savoie region in the French Alps. The resemblance is mainly “the size and texture of the cheese,” Martin Gilbert says. “The Belle de Jersey has a stronger personality than the Reblochon.”
The rind of “Belle” is a sunset orange with a bit of white mould scattered throughout. The paste has an inviting golden tone, rich and seductive with a buttery sheen. One of two things will happen when you take this out of the wrapper. You’ll either want to bite into the soft and supple interior without a moment’s hesitation (in which case you’ve lost your sense of smell) or you’ll retreat momentarily, because there’s just no getting around it: This cheese stinks, broadcasting characteristics of its washed-rind style. Once you take a bite, your senses will be fully engaged. The rind is slightly sandy and the cheese itself tastes of salt, delicious fatty milk and some beefiness, with a slightly bitter finish that pleasantly cuts its richness. Use accompaniments such as toasted nuts or sweet Medjool dates to tame Belle de Jersey’s personality if you’re feeling a little timid.
Keep in mind that this is a new cheese, so part of the artisanal experience is discovering differences in each new batch. Talk to your cheesemonger to make sure you’re getting Belle de Jersey at her prime and not beyond. Smelly is good; old and smelly is not.
If you have to wimp out, only go as far as skipping the rind or you’ll miss a memorable experience. If the leaders of the free world can hack it, so can you.
Cheese: Belle de Jersey
Origin: La Baie, Que.
Milk: raw, single-herd, Jersey cow
Producer: Les Bergeries du Fjord
Owners: Claude and Martin Gilbert, Josée Gauthier
Type: soft, washed-rind, lightly-pressed
Notes: aged 9 weeks
Shape: 450g wheel
Distributor: Distribution Ouellet, Distribution Atwater and Frigo National
Availability
Montreal: Jean Talon Market, Atwater Market
Toronto: A Taste of Quebec, About Cheese, Pusateri’s, All The Best Fine Foods
Guelph, Ont.: Ouderkirk and Taylor
Ottawa: Serious Cheese, Jacobsons Gourmet
Sue Riedl studied at the Cordon Bleu in London.
