Fromager d‘Affinois

Our most popular cheese by far is Fromager d‘Affinois.  

This luscious, Brie-like cheese comes from the Pilat Regional Park in France’s Rhone-Alpes.  Created by Fromagerie Guilloteau, Fromager d‘Affinois (“fro-mah-ZHAY dah-fee-NWAH”) is unique in the world of double cremes in that even as it progresses in age it still maintains a firm paste in the center.  The mild, buttery flavor has a sweetness that goes very well with Champagne and fresh fruit.

Fromage d‘Affinois may remind you of a triple-creme, so loaded it is with silky fat. But that texture is achieved by ”ultra-filtration,” which breaks down the fat molecules in the milk in order to further disperse them through the paste. The result is a thick, nearly whipped spread of tangy, milky goodness. The filtering makes the Fromage d’Affinois lighter than other Brie in terms of weight but is certainly creamier and a little thicker than most.  The process is somewhat similar to homogenization and serves to remove water from the milk. This concentrates and distributes all the other components in the milk, including fat, evenly throughout the paste. Ultrafiltration imparts a taste as rich as most triple-cremes, although the fat content is closer to a double-creme.

 In addition to retaining more fat, ultrafiltration allows the cheese to retain more protein and nutrients and actually accelerates the cheese-making process. Whereas Brie takes eight weeks to make, Fromage d‘Affinois takes just two. When ripe the cheese has a runny texture that coats like icing. The rind is flawless and adds flavor to the sweetness of the cheese.  

Beneath the light and fuzzy rind is a gooey ring that becomes almost liquid at room temperature. Progressing further into the cheese, you find a smooth, rich cheese with the lovely taste of fresh butter and earthy mushrooms.   Fromager d‘Affinois is rich and creamy with a relatively high-fat content of 60% which positions it about halfway between traditional brie (about 45%) and triple-crèmes like Brillat-Savarin (about 75%). Fromager d‘Affinois is a must-try for fans of triple crème cheeses.  Enjoy this cheese with crisp white wines or Champagne.