Kitchen Dictionary: trappist or monastery-style cheese

Trappist- or monastery-style cheeses are made around the world and include Saint-Paulin and Port-Salut, Pere Joseph from Belgium, Oka from Montreal, and Riddler from Norway. Trappist-style cheeses are mild and palate-pleasing, creamy and butter-like, yet firm enough for slicing. Here are a few:

Chaumes~ Now factory made, the soft rind is a bright tangerine color. The interior is smooth, supple and rubbery. The flavor is full and creamy with a subtle nuttiness.

Estrom~ also called Danish Port-Salut, Esrom is rich and aromatic. It grows even spicier with age. The yellow interior has a supple texture with irregularly shaped holes.

Maroilles~ was created in a monastery sometime between the seventh and 10th centuries. It could be one of France's strongest-smelling and tasting cheese. The square cheese is the prototype for a number of cheeses of different shapes and sizes. The rind is covered with a brownish-yellow mold, the interior soft and slice-able.

Oka~ Made in Quebec, this washed-rind cheese has a French heritage and was brought to Canada by Benedictine monks. Now made commercially under license from the monastery, it is still aged for 2 months in the monastery's cellar, located right next door to the modern cheese plant. Distinctive and full-flavored.

Pont l'Eveque~ from the Normandy region, Pont l'Eveque is made in a distinctive square shape. The yellow interior is supple with a few small holes. The aroma from the rind is strong but not overpowering. The flavor is mild and sweet, like a more intense Camembert.

Contributed by DiB's

Technique

Season: available year-round