Randy Chandler
La Tur is a soft, creamy Italian cheese made from a blend of sheep's, cow's, and goat's milk. It is best served fresh at room temperature to appreciate its unique flavour and texture. La Tur is typically sold in small, cupcake-sized wheels and has a light, delicate texture encased in a creamy, soft, and wrinkled rind. Its subtle earthy flavour complements its creamy, buttery taste, followed by acidic notes and a yeasty aroma. La Tur is best enjoyed on a cheese board with crackers or bread, paired with sparkling wines, especially those from the Alta Langa area in Italy's Piedmont region.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Serving temperature | Room temperature |
| Serving suggestions | Honey, nuts, fresh bread, crackers, raisins, table water crackers, French baguettes, quince jam, roasted pears, clover honey, arugula and beet salad, Effie's Oatcake, Murray's Wild Blueberries Preserves |
| Wine pairing | Sparkling wines, Champagne, cava, prosecco, low-oak red wine, Barbera, Dolcetto, Nebbiolo, Cru Beaujolais (Gamay), light Loire Valley Red (Cabernet Franc) |
| Type of cheese | Soft-ripened, young, creamy, tangy, salty, earthy, rich, buttery, grassy, lemony, nutty, funky |
| Cheese origin | Piedmont region, Northern Italy |
| Cheese manufacturer | Caseificio Dell'Alta Langa |
| Cheese availability | Seasonal product, available at specialty cheese markets and some supermarkets |
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What You'll Learn
La Tur cheese should be served at room temperature
La Tur is a soft, creamy Italian cheese made from a blend of sheep's, cow's, and goat's milk. It is a rare combination that gives the cheese a unique flavour and texture. The cheese is known for its rich, buttery taste, balanced by earthy and tangy notes. It has a soft, moist, and edible rind with a mildly mushroomy taste.
To enjoy La Tur at its best, it should be served at room temperature. Taking it out of the fridge 30 minutes to an hour before serving allows the cheese to reach the optimal temperature and enhances its flavour and texture. At room temperature, La Tur becomes soft and gooey, similar to Brie, making it perfect for spreading on crackers or bread.
The ideal serving temperature also ensures that the cheese's delicate flavours and textures are showcased optimally. When served at room temperature, the buttery notes of the cow's milk, the nutty hints of the sheep's milk, and the tangy, grassy characteristics of the goat's milk come together harmoniously. This temperature allows the cheese to achieve the perfect balance of flavours without being overwhelming.
In addition to crackers and bread, La Tur pairs well with accompaniments that complement its earthy and tangy notes. Honey, especially clover honey, roasted pears, quince jam, and other sweet preserves are excellent choices. Nuts and fresh bread can also enhance the flavour profile of the cheese. For a more indulgent treat, La Tur can be enjoyed with a drizzle of honey and some roasted nuts on a slice of crusty bread.
When serving La Tur at room temperature, it is important to ensure that the cheese has been stored properly beforehand. As a soft-ripened cheese, La Tur needs to be refrigerated when stored. It can be kept in the fridge for several weeks, during which its flavour will become more pronounced and pungent over time. However, it is recommended to bring the cheese to room temperature before serving to fully appreciate its distinctive characteristics.
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Pair La Tur with sweet crackers, bread, or honey
La Tur is a rich, creamy, and flavourful cheese made with a blend of sheep's milk, goat's milk, and cow's milk. It has a distinct "barn-like" flavour from the sheep's milk, balanced by the bright and tangy notes of goat's milk. The cheese is soft-ripened, with a creamy texture and a liquid top layer when ripe, making it ideal for spreading on crackers, bread, or even honey.
When serving La Tur with crackers, opt for sweet varieties such as honey-flavoured crackers or those with dried fruits and nuts. The sweetness of the crackers will complement the creamy tang of the cheese. For a more indulgent option, consider spreading the cheese on sweet biscuits or cookies.
If you prefer bread, choose a crusty loaf, such as a French baguette or a rustic sourdough. The crust will provide a satisfying contrast to the creamy cheese. Lightly toast the bread to enhance its texture and flavour, then spread the La Tur generously on top. For an extra touch of sweetness, drizzle a little honey on top of the cheese before serving.
When pairing La Tur with honey, consider using a variety of honey to complement the cheese. For a classic combination, opt for clover honey, which has a mild, floral flavour. Drizzle the honey on a slice of bread or a cracker before spreading the La Tur, or serve the cheese with a side of honey for dipping. For a unique presentation, you can even create a cheese plate with La Tur as the centrepiece, surrounded by an assortment of crackers, bread, and honey for guests to create their own perfect bite.
To enhance the flavour and texture of La Tur, it is best served at room temperature. Remove it from the fridge 30 minutes to an hour before serving to allow the cheese to soften and the flavours to develop fully. Enjoy your La Tur with sweet crackers, bread, or honey, savouring each bite of this delicious cheese.
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La Tur is made from a blend of sheep, cow, and goat's milk
La Tur is a soft, creamy cheese from the Piedmont region in Northern Italy. It is made from a blend of sheep's, cow's, and goat's milk, which produces a complex cheese full of flavours and aromas. The cheese is thermalized rather than pasteurized to preserve each milk's distinct characteristics. The curds are then hand-ladled into molds, giving the cheese a high moisture level and a fluffy, rich texture. The cheese ages for 15 days, and its tangy, earthy paste is contained within a wrinkly, yeasty rind that gets its distinct appearance from added Geotrichum candidum mold.
The process of making La Tur begins with the gentle mixing of the three types of milk, followed by the addition of a bacterial culture. The milk is then lightly pasteurized at a low temperature to initiate the ripening process. This step helps the natural microbes from the milk enhance the cheese's final flavour while retaining its earthy quality. After pasteurization, the mixture is left to settle, releasing whey. The curds are then carefully ladled into small cylindrical molds lined with butter muslin, allowing the whey to drain naturally. The molds are filled evenly, and the cheese is left to drain at room temperature for 12-18 hours, being flipped occasionally to ensure even drainage.
After draining, the cheese is unmolded and lightly salted on all surfaces. It is left to absorb the salt for a few hours before being transferred to a cheese cave or aging fridge. Here, the cheese is aged at a controlled temperature of 50-54°F (10-12°C) with 85-90% humidity for 10-14 days. During this time, it is flipped every other day to encourage even mold growth. The result is a delicate, wrinkly rind with a rich, gooey texture.
La Tur is best served at cool room temperature to appreciate its flavour and texture fully. It is an excellent addition to a cheese board, spread on crusty bread or crackers. The slight tang of the cheese pairs well with sweeter accompaniments like honey, roasted pears, quince jam, or slightly sweet crackers studded with raisins. For a more indulgent treat, try drizzling honey over the cheese or pairing it with roasted pears or quince jam. La Tur also goes well with sparkling wines, especially those from the Alta Langa area in the Piedmont region, as the bright fizz of these wines cuts through the rich tang of the cheese.
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La Tur is a soft-ripened cheese with a creamy texture
When serving La Tur, it is essential to let it reach room temperature to fully appreciate its creamy texture and flavour. This cheese is best enjoyed fresh, as part of a cheese board or spread on crackers or bread. The runny texture of La Tur makes it ideal for spreading, and its salty, slightly funky flavour pairs well with slightly sweet crackers, such as those studded with raisins. For a more indulgent treat, La Tur can be served with honey, nuts, roasted pears, quince jam, or other sweet accompaniments.
La Tur is a versatile cheese that can be paired with a variety of wines. Its salty and tangy notes are particularly well-suited to sweeter dessert wines. If you're looking for a wine from the same region, try a low-oak red wine like Barbera, Dolcetto, or Nebbiolo from Piedmont. For a sparkling option, wines from the Alta Langa area, such as Champagne, Cava, or Prosecco, will complement the cheese's richness. La Tur's earthy and tangy flavours also pair well with a bright, low-oak wine like Cru Beaujolais (Gamay) or a light Loire Valley Red (Cabernet Franc).
When purchasing La Tur, keep in mind that it is a seasonal product and may not be available year-round. It is typically sold in small, cupcake-sized wheels, making it a unique and elegant addition to any cheese board or dessert course.
Whether enjoyed on a cracker, bread, or spoon, La Tur is a delightful cheese that showcases the best characteristics of soft goat, sheep, and cow's milk cheeses combined. Its creamy texture and complex flavour profile make it a true delight for cheese enthusiasts.
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La Tur is best enjoyed fresh, not cooked
La Tur is a soft, creamy Italian cheese made from a blend of sheep's, cow's, and goat's milk. It is a rare combination that gives the cheese a unique flavour and texture. Unlike harder cheeses, La Tur is best enjoyed fresh, not cooked. This is because cooking the cheese would negatively impact its delicate texture and flavour.
La Tur is best served at room temperature to fully appreciate its flavour and texture. It is ready to be served when it sticks charmingly to the cheese paper with which it is packed. It is recommended to take the cheese out of the fridge 30 minutes to an hour before serving.
La Tur is a young, soft-ripened cheese with a short ageing process. It is typically sold in small, cupcake-sized wheels with a light, delicate texture. The cheese has a soft, moist, and edible rind with a creamy, buttery taste. The rind is thin, white, and wrinkly with a mildly mushroomy taste. The younger the cheese, the drier and flakier the texture in the middle.
La Tur has a rich, buttery, and tangy flavour with earthy notes. The cow's milk softens the tang of the goat's milk, while the sheep's milk adds a mildly nutty flavour. The cheese has a grassy and lemony tang, with a hint of yeast. The longer it is aged, the more pungent it becomes in both aroma and flavour.
La Tur is best enjoyed fresh on a cheese board with crackers or bread. Its runny texture pairs well with bread, such as a French baguette or crusty bread. It can also be spread over an oatcake or enjoyed with a spoon. The cheese's salty and slightly funky flavour is complemented by a slightly sweet cracker, such as one studded with raisins. It also goes well with table water crackers.
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Frequently asked questions
La Tur is best served at room temperature to appreciate its full flavour and texture. It is often served as part of a cheese board, spread over crackers or bread.
La Tur has a rich, buttery taste with earthy and tangy notes. It is complemented by sweet foods such as honey, raisins, roasted pears, quince jam, or dessert wines. It also pairs well with sparkling wines, especially those from the Piedmont region in Italy.
La Tur is a soft, creamy Italian cheese with a runny texture and a light, delicate, moist, mousse-like paste. It is made from a blend of sheep's, cow's, and goat's milk. Its rind is thin, white, and wrinkled, and completely edible.
La Tur is a seasonal product and may not be available year-round. You may be able to find it at a good cheese market or at certain specialty grocery stores such as Whole Foods, Kroger, Randall's, or HEB. You can also purchase it online from stores such as Gourmet Food Store.
