In my opinion, nothing looks and smells of France more than a great food market! While visiting friends in the area of Angouleme, France, I was priveleged to visit the Halls d'Angouleme food market. https://www.marche-halles.fr/
Angouleme is beautiful city that is somewhat unspoiled by tourism and seems to be mostly locals shopping and doing business. Angouleme is considered the street art capital of France and it isn't hard to find out why. Readily apparent are buildings that are adorned with some really interesting artwork. Angouleme is also well known for comics and cartoon artwork. I found the city to be quirky, unexpected and rich with intriguing people and architecture.
At the market, it did not take me long to find the cheese counter. In fact, there were 2 different ones and a few other vendors outside selling local cheeses. I found the largest counter and due to my extremely limited abilities in speaking French, I bumbled my way through picking out 3 different cheeses that piqued my interest.
Once home, we found some wine, meats and bread to pair with the selections. All of the cheeses that were selected at the market were French origin. One semi soft, one soft and one blue cheese. We also broke out some cheeses that we had bought at the local French supermarket, which let me tell you, has an extensive selection.
The cheeses that I purchased at the market will be my focus for this post. I am still learning about the massive world of French cheeses, so come along as I explore a few new ones to me! I will include a brief description, my personal rating and taste notes for each. They were:
Fleur du Maquis
Description: A semi soft ewe's milk cheese rolled in flowers. Hails from Corsica.
Rating: 4 out of 10
Flavor notes:
-Herbal, earthy
-Very bland cheese flavor
-Wax-like texture
Reblochon
Description: A soft cow's milk cheese with a clean rind. Traditionally made in the Auvergne Rhone Alpes region of France.
Rating: 7 out of 10
Flavor notes:
-Creamy and tangy
-Smooth, soft inside with a slight crust on the exterior
Roquefort
Description: A blue cheese with a strong aroma. This cheese comes from Roquefort-sur-Soulzon, France.
Rating: 9 out of 10
Flavor notes:
-Pungent and strong flavor
-Firm yet spreadable
-Intense, slightly-acidic aftertaste
All of the cheeses that I tried were good in their own way. I really have an affinity for stronger flavored cheeses, like extra aged and blue, so Roquefort was definitely a favorite of the lot for me. Perhaps I will visit Roquefort in the future as a cheese destination!
Thanks for reading!
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