I discovered a new cheese just in time for the holidays – La Tentation de Laurier by Fromagerie 1860  DuVillage (Quebec, Canada).  After I fell in love with this cheese, I discovered that it won 2nd place in the Open Class category at the 2010 Royal Agricultural Winter Fair (see here).  [On a side note, I’ve purchased the award winning Fifthtown Artisan Cheese Co., Bonnie and Floyd sheep milk cheese before and although it is slightly too soft for my taste, it is very very good.]

La Tentation de Laurier is a soft, ripened cheese that is made with pasteurized, fresh milk and cream.  Ingredients and nutritional values are shown at the end of this post.  I wasn’t able to find this specific cheese on the cheese maker’s website (here).  I emailed the company for specifications but they never replied.

This cheese has such a soft rind, and it is so smooth and creamy, that it makes for a wonderful spread.  I absolutely love it on slices of fresh baguette.  It’s flavourful enough on its own, but try adding apricot jam for a sweet variation.  I have to admit that I’ve had several dinners that consisted only of this cheese on bread.

If you try this cheese, let me know what you think.