A Taste of Rural France: Trish’s Delicious Discovery

Welcome back to our series, “An American in the Pyrénées”! We’re excited to have you with us again. This time, Trish invites you to explore one of her favourite aspects of living in beautiful France: the cheese.

Get ready to embark on another delightful journey into the world of French cheese, from the dedicated local artisans to the delicious varieties she has come to love. Join Trish as she shares her cheese adventures in the Vallée d’Ossau. It’s a warm and tasty story that you won’t want to miss!

The Pyrenees Gave Me a New Perspective on Cheese

One of the many things I love about life in France to living  is the cheese. And now that I live at the foot of the southwest Pyrénées, I’ve come to appreciate it that much more.
 
The Vallée d’Ossau is home to many Ossau-Iraty cheese producers, including my neighbors who make a delicious sheep milk ‘brebis’. With over 400 sheep (which outnumber people in the village by 2 to 1) they’re up before the sun every morning to milk the sheep and make the cheese. And that’s just the start of their day. They work really hard tending to the herds, maintaining fields, and running their business, but always have time for a chat when I stop by to pick up some cheese. And when I bring over guests staying at my French château to see how it’s made, they make us feel welcome as they happily explain the process and answer questions. 

In addition to the delicious brebis cheese, many producers also make greuil, a seasonal ricotta-type cheese. I only discovered this a couple years ago when was walking through my village after a short hike and bumped into my neighbor. She was carrying a bucket which she held up and asked if I’d like some greuil. I had never heard of greuil, but said why not and she wrapped up a generous scoop for me to take home. After looking it up online, I found some recipes and made a delicious little Pyrénéean greuil cake. I’ve since used it in a number of other dishes, including lasagne which is a great way to give a local flavor to one of my favorite meals.

The Transhumance is a Unique Experience

Each year, my neighbors along with the other ‘fromagers’ in the valley do the annual ‘transhumance’, a centuries-old tradition where the sheep, cows and horses head to higher pastures to graze for the summer. It typically takes place the first Friday in July - and it’s quite the scene as roads are closed and people gather on the sidelines to watch the parade of animals making their way up the mountain. 

At the time of writing this post, I just finished hosting a ‘transhumance weekend getaway’ at my château. As part of the experience, my guests and I walked with the sheep for about 5 kilometers to a village where people gathered for the festivities. We arrived just in time for our reservation at one of my favorite local restaurants and joined the other people on the terrace for a special transhumance dinner. It was such a lovely evening to enjoy a good meal while taking in the sights and sounds of the passing ‘troupeaux’.

Foire au Fromage – the Big Event

Most fromagers spend July and August in their mountain cabins, looking after their herds and making a summer variety of cheese referred to as ‘estival’. This, along with their winter ‘hivernal’ varieties are then showcased at the annual cheese festival in early October. People come from all over to attend the ‘foire aux fromages’, one of the biggest and most anticipated cultural events in the valley. 

On the Route du Fromage

You don’t have to go far to find good cheese in the Vallée d’Ossau. In addition to speciality shops and roadside stands, there are a number of charming villages along the main ‘route de fromages’ where you’ll see signs for cheese producers who will welcome you to pop in and buy a ‘morceau’. And for those late-night cravings, there’s even a 24/7 cheese vending machine. (I’m hoping that someone will add a baguette and wine vending machine to this little kiosk.)

Learning about the cheese culture in the Vallée d’Ossau has been such a unique and interesting experience. And seeing what goes into the production of cheese while participating in the traditions and celebrations around it has really given me a whole new perspective and appreciation of this delicious part of life in southwest France.”

Thanks, Trish, for sharing your cheesy adventures with us! We’re already looking forward to your next story. Stay tuned for more tales from Trish’s ‘Petit Château’ in the Pyrénées, an area that we love, and where we have some great properties, of all types.

A quick note from us: We love bringing you Trish’s real and unedited stories, just as she writes them. Her American English and unique style are part of what makes these tales so special. We hope you enjoyed it, and we’ll see you soon on our blog for more inspiring stories. 

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