Lou Bergier Pichin

|Looh, Buhrg-YAY, Pih-shin|

Piedmont, Italy’s northwest region, borders France to the west and Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna to the east. It’s only fitting, then, that Lou Bergier Pichin, a raw cow’s milk cheese from Piedmont, melds many cheesemaking traditions. The cheese’s tomme style and name—Lou Bergier is the term for shepherd in the local Occitan language—follow the French, while the use of day-old whey to generate starter cultures is quite Italian. The milk is coagulated using thistle rennet—a practice inspired by Spanish cheeses.

Made by Piedmont’s Fattorie Fiandino, Lou Bergier Pichin is a rustic cheese that’s fragrant with aromas of mushrooms, damp cave, and hints of butter and barnyard. On the palate, it’s bright and floral with notes of citrus. Aged for 60 days, the wheels have a velvety, mottled brown rind and a plush pale yellow paste that’s interspersed with eyes.

Enhance Lou Bergier Pichin’s floral, fruity flavors by pairing it with a crisp white or lightly fruity red wine, and serve with membrillo, sunflower honey, or pumpkin ginger compote.

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