There is a saying that goes “age doesn’t matter, unless you’re cheese.” Beyond its attempt to be funny, there is actually a certain truth behind such saying. Aging in cheese, also known as ripening, is actually the most crucial part of cheese making.

By letting the cheese to rest in carefully controlled conditions, they are able to develop the look, the texture, the flavor and even the aroma properties that make them unique. With aging, the bloom blossoms on Camembert, the holes magically turns into Swiss, and the veins burst through Gorgonzola.

During ripening, microbes and enzymes develop inside that breaks down the proteins and milk fat into different complex amino acids. In the end, these processes enrich the texture of the cheese as well as intensify its flavor.

Usually, cheeses are aged between two weeks to two yeas, sometimes for several years more.In principle, the longer the cheese is aged, the firmer, sharper and more distinctive its taste and texture becomes.

Cheeses like the Stravecchio Parmigiano Reggiano for example, are ripened for 24 to 36 months, giving it a nutty-fruity taste and a hard, gritty texture. Some cheeses are eaten fresh right away and not ripened at all, just like the ricotta, cream, and cottage cheeses.

However, there are some cheeses that are ripened halfway through these cheeses are called semi-aged cheese for only about 5 to 10 weeks only. And one of the best tasting semi-aged cheeses available in the market today is the Bucheron cheese.

Bucheron is a goat’s milk cheese, a native produce of Loire Valley in France. Widely available and absolutely tasty, the Bucheron makes a perfect ingredient for a salad or sandwich. It has a soft, creamy center that has almost the same texture as a typical chevre (goat cheese), but typical is the last word that would describe this particular cheese.

Aside from its gooey and creamy taste, Bucheron cheese is also different because it is made in short logs and aged before cutting it into smaller rounds. Surrounding its creamy center is a ring of a much harder, tangier cheese that tickles your taste buds with a pretty sharpness and complexity that will surely out your typical chevre to shame.

Its interesting characteristic the layer of gooey cheese around the large chalky core and a thin bloomy layer of mold similar to brie cheese is due to its youth. This is because softly ripened cheeses are aged from the outside in, thus the interesting center of the Bucheron.

Buying the Bucheron cheese is like buying two different cheeses at once: a creamy, mushroomy center, and a dry, clay-like and tangy fresh goat milk at the crust. It tastes perfectly with Bordeaux’s or any other dry. Try the Bucheron cheese toady and sink slowly into heaven!

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