Saw this cheese on a website and I am intrigued by it - Chaumes

[DeejayDebi]

Great site hoeklijn! Now you got me wanting to make Chaumes. Never heard of it but it sounds very good. I don't normally care for the French cheeses but this one intrigues me. Anyone ever have it?



http://www.iledefrancecheese.com/index.php/Chaumes/chaumes.html

hints are:
soft ripened cheese
cows milk
bright orange washed rind
pale mellow creamy paste
4 gallons of cow's milk to make a Chaumes cheese weighing 4.5 pounds

A variation of a Port Salut maybe?

[Tomer1]

Sound like a twist on surface ripened chimay.

[Boofer]

Anyone ever have it?

As part of my cheese education I tried it a year ago in April. Very nice.

-Boofer-

[DeejayDebi]

We are very limited here so I have to wait til I leave town to try different cheeses. The stores arounf here think they have a first class cheese spread if the sell Brie!

[iratherfly]

Chaumes is a bit of a joke for French cheese snobs... It is mostly know in France as cheese so mild, mother starts of their babies on cheese by giving it to them.  I personally like it as a basic washed rind cheese that I can cook with.

[DeejayDebi]

I am not a big fan of the french cheeses but I do like the port salut looks similar. I don't like the sour or bitter cheeses.

[hoeklijn]

oops, missed this thread, Deejay. Do you know how I found it the thread? I had a piece of Chaumes from the supermarket and tried to find something about it on the forum  :D.
The piece I bought was wrapped in plastic foil and had a distinct washed rind smell. ("Who is waring dirty socks?" my wife asked...). Paste was soft, not running like Epoisses, but with little taste. Nice cheese, but I've had better, so I won't attempt to make it, nor buy it again... 

[anutcanfly]

Hi Deejay,

Sorry to go off topic, but I couldn't find the thread where you suggested and Italian Vacuum Packer that can be fixed rather than thrown away.  What was it called?