Etorki vs Ossau-Iraty
Etorki
Facts
- Milk
- Sheep
- Texture
- Semi-hard
- Type
- Pressed
- Rind
- Washed rind
- Country
- France
- Place
- Mauléon-Licharre
Etorki is a branded sheep's milk cheese from Mauléon-Licharre, in the French Basque country. The milk is pasteurized, the curd is pressed and not cooked, and the cheese is firm but supple. A washed rind turns reddish brown, and the pale yellow interior can show a few small holes. The taste is mild, sweet, and a little nutty, and many people notice a hint of browned caramel. The Basque name means origin or heritage, and the cheese is a commercial brand rather than a shared farm name.
Ossau-Iraty
Facts
- Milk
- Sheep
- Texture
- Semi-hard
- Type
- Pressed
- Rind
- Natural rind
- Country
- France
- Place
- Pyrénées-Atlantiques
Ossau-Iraty is a pressed sheep's milk cheese from Pyrénées-Atlantiques, in southwestern France. The name joins the Ossau valley and the Iraty forest, two landmarks in that Basque and Béarn country. Wheels are pale inside, with a natural rind that runs from orange-yellow to grey. The taste is nutty, lightly salty, and gently sheepy, without the sharp bite of a very old grating cheese. It is a mountain cheese meant for the table as well as the kitchen.