Tomme d’Aydius (Béarn)

This is a relatively new cheese from the Vallée d’Aspe close to the snowline of the Béarn Mountains. A wild and rocky terrain allows the goats to graze freely. The resulting cheese is smooth and semi-hard with a lovely, pale rosy hue to the brine-rubbed crust. The taste is sweetly earthy and nutty with delicious tones of wild flowers and herbs. The main cheesemaking period is between early spring to late autumn, although the cheese is available throughout the year at varying stages of maturity.