Pied de Vent

Producer

Fromagerie du Pied de Vent

Country

Canada

Region

Quebec

Size

7- 8 ins diameter, 2 ins high

Weight

3 lbs

Website

Milk

Cow

Classification

Semi Soft

Rennet

Animal

Rind

Washed

Pied de Vent Cheese was created by a Vincent Lalonde, who originally wanted to produce and sell unpasteurized milk. However, Quebecois law prohibits this and since he was in receipt of a considerable grant from the Canadian Economic Development Board, Vincent decided to turn the milk into a raw milk cheese instead.

The resulting Pied de Vent is an aromatic washed rind cheese made from raw cow's milk and produced in the Magdalen Islands in the province of Quebec. The name Pied de Vent (literally meaning "feet of the wind") is what the islanders call rays of the sun, since they believe that this predicts that the next day will be windy.

Milk for the cheesemaking comes from an unusual breed of cow on the islands called 'La Canadienne', a Quebecois breed that is physically quite small but gives excellent quality milk.

Cheeses are supple and semisoft in texture and quite aromatic. Flavors are herbaceous and vegetal and fairly assertive without being strident.