Sheep's milk with toasted hazelnut and fig—clean, semi-firm, and approachable.
Istara Ossau-Iraty AOP, a Basque sheep's milk cheese from the French Pyrenees. Buttery, nutty, with notes of hazelnut and fig. Order online.
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Semi-firm and smooth, pressed paste that slices cleanly without crumbling. Dense but still supple, with a buttery feel as it warms on the palate.
Pronounced sheep's milk character without going heavy. Nutty and a little sweet on the front, fruity and floral through the middle, gentle salt to close.
Stays a moment past the swallow with a sweet, lightly nutty pull, like toasted hazelnut and dried fig. Doesn't linger long, but the fruity note holds nicely.
Buttery sheep's milk through the paste, more cooked-cream than yogurty. Soft milky sweetness sits underneath the nutty notes.
Classic Ossau hazelnut runs straight through it, with a brown-butter warmth from the pressed paste. Toasted, not raw.
A quiet vegetal note from the natural rind, more grassy and floral than mushroomy. The paste itself stays clean and bright.
No real piquancy. The salt is well-tuned, the finish stays sweet rather than sharp.
Natural rind
Natural rind, dusty and grey-brown, with a faint earthy, hay-like aroma. Edible, though most slice it away.
Ossau-Iraty stands on its own, but the right partners turn a wedge into a moment. Regional pairings first — they were built for each other.
Basque sheep cheese loves Basque wine, and the floral, fruity paste opens up alongside a medium-bodied Irouléguy or Rioja. A sweeter Jurançon plays into the hazelnut and fig notes.
The traditional Basque move is cherry preserves with Ossau-Iraty, and it's traditional for a reason: the dark fruit pulls the nutty sweetness right out of the paste. Figs and quince work the same angle.
Video represents style and type of cheese - may not be an exact match in all cases.
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“Cooperative Basque sheep's milk cheesemaking at AOP scale, built on Manech-breed flocks grazing the Pyrenean foothills around Macaye.”
Manech ewe's milk pressed into wheels and matured on wooden boards — Ossau-Iraty aged 90+ days, P'tit Basque about 70 days in a signature basket-weave mold.
Hand-cut to order the day it ships. Packed cold for overnight delivery.
Taste it for yourself →Cold-ship 2-day overnight nationwide
