It is a cheese I don't always gravitate to, why I'm not sure...but maybe it has to do with the fact that being that it is a fresh goat cheese, I feel that some of its freshness oomph is lost when one procures it on our shores. Granted, that is not probably the case, but I am big into the length of the commute to one's plate and this little fresh guy has a long commute if you buy one here. That being said, it is a delish, simple, fresh goat cheese that will never disappoint.
Petit Billy is named both for the male goat - Billy and for the town in the Loire Valley where it is made, Billy. It is a pasteurized goat's milk cheese that one can buy in rounds wrapped in a single chestnut leaf, slightly larger than a hockey puck. I think it is perfect when served with a nice Sancerre from the region -- both bright, light, grassy, and flavorful!
Although you may think it is a simple goat cheese, I guarantee it is not. Try a taste test! If you taste this next to a plastic wrapped goat cheese log found on your supermarket shelf, you will notice the difference and never turn back.
I hate to say it, but I just bought a Petit Billy in Wissembourg, France, and there was no need to go to the cheese counter. It's completely sealed in plastic and sits in the cheese cooler, waiting for you to put it in your shopping basket.
ReplyDeleteBTW, the faux leaf is perfect for taking the cheese out of its plastic container. Grab the tips and lift it up. Leaves all the watery brine in the plastic.
The plastic didn't affect the taste. Delicious.