Saint-André

I had a few friends over last night so of course a cheese plate was in order. There were four different cheeses served and I will try to review them all this week :)

We really enjoyed the first cheese, Saint-André from France. The creame de la creame of cheese. I purchased it from my favorite cheese shop, Springbank Cheese Company, on sale! A 200g mini wheel is normally $8.15 but the box was damaged and they were offering it at 50% off! Yay for sale cheese!



From Wikipedia:

Saint-André cheese is a high (75%) milk-fat ("Triple cream") cow's milk French cheese in a powdery white, bloomy skin of mold. It has a soft buttery texture, and tastes like an intense version of Brie. Extra heavy cream is added to the cheese during manufacture. A traditional wheel of Saint-André is smaller and shaped higher than the familiar flat wheel of Brie. Saint-André is so fatty it can make a white wine taste sour and metallic: a crust of baguette and a light beer or simply a slice of pear are often suggested as better complements. Any cracker used should be utterly bland.

The Verdict:

Everyone loved this cheese. Creamy, mild (but full of flavor), and just plain delightful. It is a great alternative to Brie on any cheese plate. This would also make a devine dessert. In fact, it would be delightful with fresh fruit in a tart. When cold, this cheese is quite firm and difficult o spread. Remove it from the fridge quite a few hours in advance and it will soften to a lovely, creamy, spreadable texture.

All in all, delishious.