Petit Basque is a mild, unpasteurized, uncooked, hard sheep’s milk cheese, produced in the Pyrenees Mountains, which form the border between France and Spain. It is made using the same techniques that local shepherds used hundreds of years ago. “Fromage de Brebis” (sheep cheese) was then made from pure sheep’s milk that farmers put aside while milking their ewes. Petit Basque is still hand-made from curds from uncooked, unpasteurized ewe’s milk. Once pressed into molds and dried, it is brined for two hours and then aged for 70 days in a cold storage room or cave. The exterior of Petit Basque is light yellow butter in colour, smooth, and slightly oily. The interior, which is buttery yellow, is smooth and firm, with no “eyes.” The aroma is slightly nutty with some caramel notes, and some have described the cheese as having a smooth taffy-like feel in the mouth. Its flavour is mildly “sheepy,” nutty, and somewhat fruity. A perfect ending to an al fresco picnic as we welcome the coming of spring!