This text is part of the special Pleasures notebook
Every fall, the Sélection Caseus competition, entirely dedicated to Quebec cheeses, is eagerly awaited. Salivating in anticipation, we are always eager to know the winning cheese makers as well as the grand winner of the prestigious Caseus Or. So, who will be crowned on September 25 for the 2024 edition of this competition? While we wait to find out, here is a quick overview of the finalists, as well as a gourmet wink to two of them.
Since 1998, Sélection Caseus has become one of the most popular competitions in Quebec. Why? Because it rewards cheeses judged by experts in the field and does not hand out medals at random. But also because it showcases the expertise of dozens of Quebec cheese artisans, both large and small.
Over the years, some Caseus award-winning cheeses have gone down in history, such as Le Valbert from the Lehmann cheese factory, Bleu d’Élizabeth from the Fromagerie du Presbytère, Alfred le fermier from the La Station organic dairy farm. And of course, let’s not forget Zacharie Cloutier from the Nouvelle France cheese factory, which has already won the Caseus Gold award four times, including in 2022 and 2023.
This firm sheep’s milk cheese is also one of the 63 finalist cheeses for the 2024 edition of the competition, among which we find a wide range of techniques, flavors and textures. The 1608, a firm cheese from the Charlevoix dairy, is indeed alongside the cheese curds from the St-Guillaume cheese factory, the Bleu Bénédictin from the Saint-Benoît-du-Lac cheese factory, the Bufarella (a fresh cheese made from buffalo milk) from the Fuoco cheese factory, the soft Pizy from La Suisse Normande, the St-Vallier grilling cheese from La Fromagerie du Terroir de Bellechasse… and so many other tasty treasures to discover.
Proudly farmhouse cheeses
Today, there are more than 1,000 cheeses in Quebec, but only 162 of them are certified farm cheeses, a rewarding term that emphasizes that a cheese maker’s creations are made with milk produced on site.
The Médard cheese factory in Saint-Gédéon, in Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean, is one of these little gems of excellence. Although it was only officially launched in 2005, its history, intrinsically linked to the land that hosts it, dates back to 1890, when the government of Honoré Mercier granted 40 hectares (100 acres) of land free of charge to the parents of 12 children to populate the regions of Quebec. A family legacy that is still alive with the 5e and 6e generations at the helm of an estate which now includes a dairy, a bakery and a cheese dairy, run by Rose-Alice Côté.
“The cheesemaking profession is magnificent. Making cheese is so technical, magical and rewarding,” she says before revealing her vision for a cheese worthy of the Caseus. “I think you have to bring together high-quality milk—the Médard cheese factory only uses milk from its Swiss Brown cows, and it’s processed within 24 hours—the right people, the right ideas, the right equipment and the best practices in terms of animal welfare.”
For five years, the cheesemaker’s creations have made their way among the finalists of the Caseus Selection, in addition to winning other important prizes, such as this year a 2e place (out of 6,000 competing cheeses!) at the American Cheese Society with Le Cousin, a soft cheese with a beautiful orange rind and aromas of butter and cream.
However, he is not the only one in the running for a 2024 Caseus Prize, since four other creations by Mme Côté are finalists in the competition: La Belle-Mère, a semi-firm cheese, Bois de Grandmont, a soft cheese recognizable by its spruce belt, as well as two cheeses incorporating goat’s milk, La Voisine and Le Chèvre-Vache. A real platter of flavors to enjoy, why not, with a baguette with garlic flower and camelina oil from the bakery adjacent to the cheese shop.
A cheese dairy that stands out
Let’s change regions and go to Chaudière-Appalaches, where agronomist couple Annie Claessens and Patrick Soucy launched the dairy operations of the Phylum farm in 2008 in Saint-Nicolas. “My whole family has been in the dairy business for six generations, so it was definitely in my genes,” says Mr. Soucy with a smile, who decided to add cheesemaking to his bow in 2016 because he didn’t want the special A2 milk from his Jersey cows, which is very high quality and digestible, to be mixed indiscriminately with others.
Since then, the farmer has developed yogurt and a range of farmhouse cheeses, which range from sriracha and lime-flavored cheddar curds, to Alderney, a soft cheese reminiscent of Reblochon, and La Lignée, a firm, unripened cheese to which pepper has been added.
However, two other of his creations are finalists for the Caseus Selection this year. Shalena, a firm cheese matured for over six months that comes in 35 kg wheels, will delight Comté lovers with its delicate fruity aromas. As for O’Kéfir, it is one of a kind. It is actually made from homemade kefir, then matured for six to eight months and washed with a white wine brine. “In the mouth, you have the fat of the Jersey milk, the slight effervescence of the kefir and an additional aroma brought by the washed rind,” explains the cheesemaker. “Try it!”
This content was produced by the Special Publications Team of Dutyrelevant to marketing. The writing of the Duty did not take part in it.