Smoked Chèvre Bûche

Our smoked chèvre bûche is specially smoked for us by one of our cheese suppliers. They take the chèvre bûche which has a creamy, yet flaky, texture as well as deep rich flavours which are tangy and earthy whilst maintaining a sweetness. They then gently smoke it over oak chippings which really enhances the flavour of the cheese giving it a real smoky tang.

The literal meaning of Bûche de Chèvre is simply goat log. It originates from the Poitou-Charentes region of France and traditionally the cheese must be matured for at least 7 days before it’s eaten. At 7 days the cheese is still quite young and crumbly but as it matures it softens under its rind and develops the most wonderful flavours. The cheese comes into us as a 900g whole cheese which we slice into rings of any size.

It is thought that the first smoked cheese was discovered by accident. Probably the cheese was kept too close to a fire but it was soon discovered that it didn’t harm the cheese. This then led to cheeses being smoked to help preserve them. Nowadays we smoke cheeses because they taste amazing!

Some smoked cheeses are artificially smoked. This means that the cheese has a smoke flavouring added to it. We prefer to stock cheeses which have actually been smoked. Usually this involves a cold smoke process. Cold smoking means that the smoke is generated in one area whilst the cheese is in another unheated area. The smoked is then pumped into the area where the cheese is kept. Cheeses are generally smoked over oak, applewood, hickory or beech chips. These all impart a different, but fabulous flavour.

Smoked cheeses pair brilliantly with tart apples and white grapes. They also are amazing when used in cooking. We love to add a bit of smoked cheese to cauliflower cheese, macaroni cheese & fondues.

This cheese is delicious when paired with a glass of Beaujolais.