Abbaye de Belloc

Abbaye de Belloc is also known as 'Abbaye Notre-Dame de Belloc' since it was produced by the Benedictine monks at the 'Abbaye de Notre Dame de Belloc' in the Pays Basque region of Aquitaine, France. They used unpasteurised sheep milk available in the locality and followed a cheese-making process that dates back to 3000 years.

Abbaye de Belloc is a flat wheel-shaped traditional, farmhouse, semi-hard cheese made from sheep's milk. It has a natural, crusty, brownish rind with patches of red, orange and yellow. The rind is marked with tiny craters.

The cheese has a firm, dense, rich and creamy texture. The taste resembles burnt caramel, and there is a distinctive lanolin aroma. The ageing process of the cheese ranges from four to ten months. The younger wheels are made in December, while the older ones are in July. Both types of cheese wheels are sent to the market in April.