A soft Normandy washed-rind with pungent character and meaty lingering finish.
AOP Livarot from Normandy: soft-paste washed-rind cow's milk cheese with a sticky orange rind, barnyard funk, and a long savory finish.
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Livarot is a cow's milk washed-rind cheese from Normandy, France, soft-paste under a sticky orange rind and ringed with five strips of dried sedge that give it its nickname, the Colonel.
The paste is supple and yielding, the kind of soft-ripened cheese that gives under the knife and grows almost spoonable near the rind as it ages. That orange rind gets there honestly, washed in brine through maturation, which is what pulls the color forward and builds the pungent, barnyardy character the cheese is famous for. On the palate it leads with a big savory hit, wet straw and cellar and a mushroomy pull from the rind, then a salty meaty depth that lingers well past the swallow. The interior stays a touch milder than the nose suggests, with a soft buttery undertone keeping the funk in check.
This is a classic of the Pays d'Auge and one of the oldest named cheeses in Normandy, AOP protected and made to a recipe that has not needed updating. If you like a serious washed-rind cheese with a real point of view, this is the one to know.
Supple, soft-paste interior under a sticky orange rind. Yields under the knife and grows spoonable toward the rind as it ripens.
Big, pungent washed-rind cheese. Strong on the nose, full and savory on the palate, with a long meaty pull on the finish.
Long, savory finish that hangs on the back of the palate. Salty, vegetal, and slightly funky well past the swallow.
The fresh milk has been pulled into the washed rind. A little buttery cream lingers in the paste but the milky note sits in the background.
A faint browned-butter note in the paste, but nuttiness isn't the headline. The washed-rind savor dominates.
Deeply earthy and barnyardy from the brine wash. Wet straw, cellar, and a mushroomy pull from the orange rind.
A light peppery bite on the finish from the rind, but heat isn't the story here. The pungency reads as savory, not piquant.
Washed rind
The sticky orange rind is washed in brine through aging and carries most of the funk: barnyard, wet straw, and a salty meaty pull. The five strips of dried sedge wrapped around the wheel are the source of its nickname, the Colonel.
Livarot stands on its own, but the right partners turn a wedge into a moment. Regional pairings first — they were built for each other.
The local move is Calvados or a dry Normandy cider, both of which cut through the pungency and echo the apple country it comes from. A spicy Gewürztraminer or a soft Pinot Noir works on the table.
A washed-rind this big wants a sweet, crunchy counterweight. Crisp orchard fruit and walnut bread cool the funk; a spoon of cherry preserves balances the salt on the finish.
Video represents style and type of cheese - may not be an exact match in all cases.
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Hand-cut to order the day it ships. Packed cold for overnight delivery.
Taste it for yourself →Cold-ship 2-day overnight nationwide
