flipAged Langres cheese, from the homeland
Aged Langres cheese, from the homeland
Why this dish? Diderot was born in Langres, Champagne, land of this washed-rind soft cheese. The Langres knife is among his typical objects: his homeland remained present even on his table, through a cheese that bears the name of his city.
A washed-rind cheese with a characteristic depression at the top, assertive in character. Fermented and salty, it closes the meal at dessert time, as custom dictates, and recalls the philosopher's native Champagne.
Come, let me have you taste my homeland! This cheese comes from Langres, where I was born, and it has character like the folks back home. See this little hollow on top: we pour a few drops of marc into it, and the rind turns reddish as it is washed during aging. It smells strong, I grant you, but under the rind the paste is soft and runny — a philosopher must learn to love what does not reveal itself at first glance.
- •Langres cheese (cow's milk, washed rind) — one piece (aged cheese)
- •Marc de Champagne (for washing the rind) — a few drops in the hollow (aging and aroma)
- •Bread — as needed (accompaniment)
Aged Langres cheese, from the homeland
A washed-rind cheese with a characteristic depression at the top, assertive in character. Fermented and salty, it closes the meal at dessert time, as custom dictates, and recalls the philosopher's native Champagne.
Why this dish? Diderot was born in Langres, Champagne, land of this washed-rind soft cheese. The Langres knife is among his typical objects: his homeland remained present even on his table, through a cheese that bears the name of his city.
Come, let me have you taste my homeland! This cheese comes from Langres, where I was born, and it has character like the folks back home. See this little hollow on top: we pour a few drops of marc into it, and the rind turns reddish as it is washed during aging. It smells strong, I grant you, but under the rind the paste is soft and runny — a philosopher must learn to love what does not reveal itself at first glance.
Ingredients (period version)
- Langres cheese (cow's milk, washed rind) — one piece (aged cheese)
- Marc de Champagne (for washing the rind) — a few drops in the hollow (aging and aroma)
- Bread — as needed (accompaniment)
Ingredients
- Langres cheese AOP — 1 piece (washed-rind aged cheese)
- Marc de Champagne or ratafia — a drizzle (optional) (to pour into the hollow)
- Country bread — a few slices (accompaniment)
- Grapes or pears — a few (dessert freshness)
Method
- Take the cheese out of the fridge 1 hour before serving to reveal its aromas.
- Present it whole on a plate, hollow side up.
- If desired, pour a drizzle of Marc de Champagne into the hollow a few minutes before serving.
- Accompany with country bread and some fresh fruit.
- Cut into portions with a knife, starting from the center.
How it was made : Langres cheese has long been attested on the plateau of the same name. Its 'fontaine' (the hollow on top) arises from never being turned during aging; the rind, regularly washed, takes on its characteristic orange color. It was a terroir cheese, transported and sold outside its region.
The contemporary twist : Place the cheese on a board with a small knife and a map of Champagne: a 'geographical cheese', a nod to the cartographic and classifying spirit of the Encyclopédie.
Sources : Fromage de Langres AOP, Champagne
Denis Diderot · Charactorium
