Wavreumont Cheese: The Magical Belgian

By Jennifer Silverman

About halfway through the weekend we began to refer to the cheese as "the magical Belgian."  The real name is Wavreumont. Tangy, buttery, aromatic and possibly, according to my friends, blessed by the supernatural, Wavreumont is the first cheese from the Belgian producer Mark Rosen's Fromagerie des Ardennes to be sold in the United States. 

When it comes to cheese its western neighbor, France, often outshines Belgium. But, as the helpful cheese monger at Formaggio Essex pointed out, "the borders we see in Europe are not as concrete as we like to think. It's about education." Formaggio Essex is dedicated to the task. Currently they are the only purveyor to import and offer Rosen's Wavreumont in the United States.

Wavreumont is an organic monastery-style cow's milk cheese. The name is a tribute to the Saint-Remacle monastery in the nearby town of Wavreumont. Monastic cheeses, like Port Salut, Taleggio and Munster, have a washed-rind, meaning they are rinsed, rubbed, or brushed with a liquid like a brine, wine or spirit as they ripen. This additional moisture promotes the growth of surface bacteria, which enhance the taste and often produce the telltale stink. Although certainly fragrant, Wavreumont is on the non-offensive end of the stinky cheese scale - it's more grassy than footy - while the flavor is sharp, creamy and lingering.

Semi-soft, with a delicate yellow color, Wavreumont is equally comfortable paired with a hearty wine on a cheese plate, or melted on crusty country bread with the summer's late tomatoes and a good Belgian beer.  There is a downside to the Wavreumont, however. It's in limited supply and selling quickly.  But not to worry, a new shipment of "the Magical Belgian" is expected by the end of September. 

Wavreumont can be found at the following locations in New York City:

Formaggio Essex at Essex Market
Sold for $13.95 per ½ lb 
120 Essex Street
New York, NY
212-982-8200

Casellula Cheese and Wine Cafe
401 West 52nd Street
between 9th and 10th Avenues
New York, NY
212-247-8137

Jennifer Silverman is a writer and omnivore living in New York City.