Le Maréchal is a firm raw cow's milk cheese produced by Fromagerie
De Granges in the Vaud region of Switzerland.
Artisan cheesemaker Jean-Michel Rapin from Granges-Marnand in
Broye started making Le Maréchal in 1992. The cheese is named after his
grandfather Emile Rapin who was a blacksmith-farrier, which is called a
maréchal-ferrant in French. A large picture of his grandfather which reflects
his original and robust character is on the label of every wheel of Le Maréchal.
The cheesemaker and a team of local dairy farmers that supply the
milk to make Le Maréchal, are bound by an agreement they created to guarantee
good quality milk in a production process that looks after the cows and nature
in general and guarantee an original, creamy tasting cheese.
Le Maréchal is a robust mountain style cheese similar to Gruyere
but the wheels are much smaller weighing 6 kg. It is aged for 130 days. During
the ripening process the rind is hand-rubbed with aromatic herbs.
Le Maréchal has a dry brown rind that is flecked with herbs. The
firm cooked pressed paste has a beautiful golden colour which is smooth and
solid with few holes. It has a nutty and herbal aroma.
Le Maréchal has a melt in your mouth texture and a rich, nutty flavour
with sweet tones of butterscotch and berries.
Pairs nicely with figs and a glass of dry white wine or a
Beaujolais.
www.le-marechal.ch/
