Bleu Ermite

Bleu Ermite

St Benoit-du-Lac, Quebec

The monks in St Benoit-du-Lac have been producing excellent cheese for decades. Bleu Ermite was their first blue, with production beginning in 1943. It is a semi-firm cheese, quite mild as far as blues go, with typically grassy and mushroomy aroma and slightly tangy flavour. In terms of texture it is slightly gritty and crumbly, which makes it excellent for salad uses—try it with early beets and arugula—or, of course, for eating on a cheese platter. It is aged around 60 days before the bloom is wiped off and the cheese is readied for sale.

Try with: port, ice wine, Riesling, or a medium-bodied red such as Shiraz. Dried fruits such as figs and dates are often paired with blue cheeses, and with good reason.