Pardou Ardi Gasna (French Raw Sheep's Milk Cheese)

The Pardou Ardi Gasna is a medium sized wheel with a firm rind and a tightly knit paste. Out of all our brebis, this has the most consistently likeable flavor profile, with balanced flavors of the sheep's milk, as well as a pleasing nuttiness and saltiness. As is typical of cheeses of the region, this cheese is made using the milk of the traditional breed of sheep: brebis Béarnaise.

Sophie Pardou (of Fromagerie PARDOU) is an affineur based in Laruns, France in the Ossau valley, at the foot of the Pic du Midi d'Ossau. Sophie is currently running the business after her husband, Christian Pardou, retired. Christian left his career in hospitality in the early 1990s to purchase an abandoned train tunnel down the street from his hotel. He converted this tunnel into a cheese cave where the family now ages to perfection cheeses made from a handful of local French and Basque shepherds. The tunnel provides the ideal environment for aging cheese and Sophie is currently working on expanding the caves to age even more.

Each year we travel there to walk the caves and taste cheese with the Pardou family. We have been working with them for many years and these trips help us give them a sense of what suits our customers' tastes best, making our offering more custom.

Country of Origin: France

Region: Pyrénées-Atlantiques

Type of Milk: Sheep

Fromagerie Pardou

How much cheese should I buy?

We advise buying small quantities more frequently to avoid long term storage because the complex flavors and aromas of good cheese will change and degrade over time. For appetizer quantities and not much left over, we suggest 1/4 lb per person. For larger servings or if you'd like some left overs, we suggest a full 1/2 lb per person.

How should I serve my cheese?

You can serve any number of cheeses: a single magnificent chèvre or a large selection celebrating the diversity of aromas, flavors and textures found in various traditions around the world. Choose what you like and what you expect your audience will enjoy. We usually go for a selection of three to four cheeses with various milk types, textures and flavors.

Take your cheese out of the refrigerator an hour or so before serving. Just before serving, unwrap each cheese and scrape the cut surface with a knife edge to remove a thin layer. If you notice dried out parts or mold on the face of the cheese, cut it away.

Can I eat the rind?

Most cheeses have rinds and most rinds are edible. If you don’t like the taste or texture, cut it off.

What do I do about the mold on my cheese?

Cheese stored for some time may grow exterior molds. Typical molds will be white or blue-green but you can sometimes come across yellow or gray. Most of the time, you can refresh the cheese by cutting away those affected areas. The cheese underneath will be fine.

How do I store my cheese?

Store in a higher humidity area of your refrigerator - likely an enclosed spot which allows for limited airflow rather than constant drafts.

How do I wrap my cheese?

Use a clean wrap of the cheese paper, or, in a pinch use parchment (for softer cheeses) or aluminum foil (for firm to hard cheeses).

Enjoy!

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Pardou Ardi Gasna (French Raw Sheep's Milk Cheese)

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