Ossau-Iraty vs P'tit Basque
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.
P'tit Basque
Facts
- Milk
- Sheep
- Texture
- Semi-hard
- Type
- Pressed
- Rind
- Natural rind
- Country
- France
- Place
- Pyrenees
P'tit Basque is a small sheep's milk cheese from the Pyrenees in France. The milk is pasteurized, and the wheels stay modest in size, which makes them easy to cut for a board. The paste is smooth and medium firm, with a pale ivory color and a mild sheep aroma. A thin brown rind shows a basket-weave mark from the mould. It is a Basque-style cheese made for everyday eating rather than long cellar aging.