This Cheese Was Named Best In Quebec & It Apparently Tastes Like A Pastry
You can get a whole wheel.
The Zacharie Cloutier from the Fromagerie Nouvelle France.
Cheesus! The Sélection Caseus, Quebec's annual government-run cheese awards, has announced its 2022 winners. They hail from fromageries spanning from Montérégie to Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean. The Zacharie Cloutier from Estrie's Fromagerie Nouvelle France took home the gold, earning the title of the best cheese in Quebec.
It's a firm cheese made from unpasteurized sheep's milk cheese. The Sélection Caseus says it has a "dense interior with tyrosine crystals — tiny, salty crystals that add crunch" — and "flavourful aromas of toasted brioche, caramel and maple syrup, with a coconut finish."
This isn't the first time the Zacharie Cloutier won the grand prize. According to the Fromagerie Nouvelle France website, it also won gold in the competition in 2011 and 2018 and claimed prizes in its sub-category between 2012 and 2017.
The cheese is currently available to order online in blocks or shredded. Customers can order either a six-month aged block (starting at $15.25 for 250 grams) or a 12-month aged block (starting at $16.75 for 250 grams). There are also whole wheels available for $220, for the six-month, and $227, for the 12-month.
A bag of shredded Zacharie Cloutier costs $31.
In all cases, there's a $20 shipping fee. Otherwise, the Fromagerie Nouvelle France boutique is located at 158, route 222 in Racine, Quebec.
Second place in the Sélection Caseus went to the Centre-du-Québec Fromagerie du Presbytère's Bleu d'Élizabeth, described as a "just salty enough" marbled cheese made from unpasteurized cow's milk.
The bronze went to the Chemin Hatley cheese, a sheep's milk cheese with a "melty interior with strong floral and fruit aromas," from Estrie's Fromagerie la Station.
The complete list of winners is online.
