Smooth Basque sheep's milk cheese with warm hazelnut notes and caramel finish.
Etorki is a semi-firm French Basque sheep's milk cheese, smooth and velvety with sweet hazelnut and caramel notes. Order online from Beverly Hills.
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Etorki is a pasteurized sheep's milk cheese from the French Basque Country, made from the milk of local Manech ewes whose flocks roam the foothills of the Pyrenees. The name means "origin" in Basque, and the cheese is a faithful nod to the region's centuries-old shepherding tradition.
The paste is ivory, semi-firm, and remarkably smooth, almost velvety under the knife, slicing into clean supple sheets without any of the chalkiness you sometimes get from younger sheep cheeses. The flavor leads with the natural sweetness of Manech sheep's milk and builds into a warm hazelnut note through the middle, finishing with a soft caramel pull that lingers gently. There's no sharpness, no barnyard, no piquant bite, just clean, rich, nutty sheep's milk doing its thing.
This sits right in the sweet spot for someone who loves Basque and Pyrenean sheep cheeses but wants something a little more approachable than a long-aged Ossau-Iraty or a salt-driven Idiazabal. It's the kind of wheel that disappears quietly off a plate, with that signature Manech sweetness that makes Basque cheese such a calling card.
Semi-firm but smooth and velvety on the tongue, with a pliable paste that slices cleanly without crumbling.
Mellow and approachable, leading with sweet sheep's milk and a soft hazelnut warmth rather than any sharpness or funk.
Finishes with a gentle caramel sweetness that hangs around the mid-palate for a beat before fading clean.
Rich, buttery sheep's milk character right up front, sweet and creamy rather than tangy.
Toasted hazelnut sits at the center of the flavor, woven through with a soft brown-butter note.
Clean and dairy-forward, with none of the barnyard or mushroom notes you'd find in a washed-rind or aged sheep cheese.
No piquancy or bite, the sweetness carries it from front to back.
Natural rind
Natural rind, typically trimmed at the counter and not part of the eating experience.
Etorki stands on its own, but the right partners turn a wedge into a moment. Regional pairings first — they were built for each other.
The sweet, nutty paste plays well with Basque whites like Txakoli or a light Rioja from just across the border, and the richness has enough fat to stand up to bubbles or a touch of dessert wine.
Stone fruits and dark cherry preserves echo the caramel sweetness, while Marcona almonds reinforce the hazelnut note that runs through the paste.
Real reviews from The Cheese Store of Beverly Hills Google Business Profile. Curated by Dom and his team since 1967.
Domenico and his team are fantastic. I’m a chef and I often get my supplies from The Cheese Store — unique products, carefully selected, from top Italian and French cheeses to excellent local ones.
Absolutely loved the cheese store! Everyone was super helpful and friendly. Lena helped us — she was very knowledgeable on all the cheeses: where they came from, what the region is like, what they are known for. It was like wine tasting for cheese.
Ordered several cheeses from them and the wrong items were delivered. Contacted the store and they recognized the error and immediately sent the correct order the next day without any fuss. Really appreciate the promptness and professionalism.
“A Basque shepherd-owned cooperative committed to keeping Manech-breed sheep's milk in local hands, from pasture to aged wheel.”
Pressed, uncooked Manech sheep's milk wheels aged roughly three months in the Macaye cellars at the foot of the Pyrenees.
Hand-cut to order the day it ships. Packed cold for overnight delivery.
Taste it for yourself →Cold-ship 2-day overnight nationwide
