Époisses de Bourgogne

Not yet written for this entry.

Époisses is Burgundy’s most famous and most pungent cheese—a small, round, washed-rind disc with an orange-red surface and an oozing, spoonable interior that has earned it the nickname ‘the king of cheeses’ (attributed variously to Brillat-Savarin and Napoleon). The cheese holds an AOC/AOP since 1991 and is produced exclusively in the Époisses region from raw or pasteurised cow’s milk. The production technique is what gives Époisses its extraordinary character: after moulding and initial draining, the young cheeses are washed three times per week with a solution of water and Marc de Bourgogne (Burgundy’s pomace brandy) for a minimum of 5 weeks. This washing cultivates Brevibacterium linens on the rind—the same bacteria responsible for its powerful aroma—while the alcohol from the marc prevents competing moulds. Each successive wash uses a slightly stronger marc solution, gradually deepening the rind’s colour from ivory to deep orange-red. A ripe Époisses at 6-8 weeks is a transformative eating experience: the rind is slightly sticky and deeply aromatic (its reputation for powerful smell is entirely justified), while the interior has liquefied to a flowing, silky cream with flavours of butter, mushroom, bacon, and a lingering complexity that evolves on the palate for minutes. In the Burgundian kitchen, Époisses is heated in its wooden box at 180°C for 15 minutes until molten, then served communally with bread for dipping—the Époisses chaude—or crumbled into a gratin or soufflé where its intensity provides depth that no other cheese can match.

Not yet written for this entry.