Cheeses from Quebec

Celebrating local cheeses

Quebec now boasts hundreds of talented artisan cheese makers who lovingly make cheeses as varied as they are delicious. Firm and strong, blue-veined or creamy, there is a cheese for every taste!

Grey Owl

Provenance
Lower Saint-Lawrence

Type
Soft cheese with bloomy rind. Slightly sweet taste.

SAQ Taste Profile
Aromatic and mellow

La Sauvagine

Provenance
National Capital Region

Type
Soft cheese with washed rind. Creamy texture that melts in the mouth, fresh butter taste with hints of mushrooms.

SAQ Taste Profile
Aromatic and mellow

Baluchon

Provenance
Mauricie

Type
Semi-soft cheese with washed rind. Creamy, melt-in-your-mouth cheese that tastes of hazelnut, cream, butter and leaves a slight clover aftertaste.

SAQ Taste Profile
Fruity and medium-bodied

Fontina fumé Saint-Benoît-du-Lac

Provenance
Estrie

Type
Firm, rindless cheese. Soft, slightly creamy texture, milk and smoke aroma; the smoking of this cheese gives it a honey-coloured rind.

SAQ Taste Profile
Aromatic and supple

Vachement Bleu

Provenance
Central Quebec

Type
Blue-veined semi-soft cheese. Smooth and creamy texture, slightly salty taste of hazelnuts.

SAQ Taste Profile
Aromatic and robust

Bleu fumé Saint-Benoît-du-Lac

Provenance
Estrie

Type
Blue-veined semi-soft cheese. Slightly crumbly texture, pleasant yet powerful aroma of mushrooms and slightly woody taste.

SAQ Taste Profile
Aromatic and robust

Le Cendrillon

Provenance
National Capital Region

Type
Soft cheese with natural rind. Ash-covered goat cheese, lactic aroma and slightly tart.

SAQ Taste Profile
Aromatic and mellow

Pacific Rock

Provenance
National Capital Region

Type
Firm cheese with washed rind. Rich nutty, buttery touches, and caramel flavour.

SAQ Taste Profile
Aromatic and mellow

Le Bocké

Provenance
Lanaudière

Type
Semi-soft cheese with washed rind. Soft and delicate harmony of wild mushroom aromas.

SAQ Taste Profile
Aromatic and mellow

Le Mont-Jacob

Provenance
Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean

Type
Semi-soft cheese with washed rind. Delicate aroma and flavours of fruit and roasted peanuts.

SAQ Taste Profile
Aromatic and supple

Soft rind cheese

Le Maria Chapdelaine

M.F 31% | Humidity; 52%

Provenance
Fromagerie La Normandinoise, Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean

Type
Soft rind cheese with a bloomy rind and a smooth, creamy texture.

SAQ Taste Profile
Aromatic and mellow

Try the recipe for Strawberry Cups with Le Maria Chapdelaine Cheese

Le Péribonka

M.F 31% | Humidity 52%

Provenance
Fromagerie La Normandinoise, Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean

Type
Soft cheese with a washed rind, natural or mixed, creamy texture.

SAQ Taste Profile
Aromatic and mellow

Try the recipe for Warm Péribonka Cheese and Fig Sandwich

L'Apprenti sorcier

Provenance
Fromagerie les Folies Bergères, Outaouais

Type
Soft cheese with a bloomy rind. Mix of cow and sheep milk. Delicate taste, creamy texture.

SAQ Taste Profile
Fruity and light

Try the recipe for Crisp Cheese Dumplings

Le Guillaume Tell

M.F 26% | Humidity 50%

Provenance
Fromagerie du Domaine Féodal, Lanaudière

Type
Soft, brie-type cheese with a washed rind, made from pasteurized milk, macerated and washed with ice wine.

Try the recipe for Caramelized Apples with Cheese

Le Noble

M.F 26% | Humidity 50%

Provenance
Fromagerie du Domaine Féodal, Lanaudière

Type
Soft cheese with a bloomy rind, made with pasteurized milk with a mushroom smell and almond taste.

SAQ Taste Profile
Fruity and sweet

Try the recipe for Cheese-Apple Stuffed Mushrooms

Le Secret de Maurice

M.F 24% | Humidity 55%

Provenance
Famille Migneron Maison Maurice Dufour, Charlevoix

Type
Soft cheese refined smooth and flowing, and rind on the outside. Made from sheep's milk. Remove the rind from the top (cap) and enjoy to the heart.

Try the recipe for Roasted Pears with Brie

Semi-soft cheese

La Tomme d’Elles

M.F 33% | Humidity 44%

Provenance
Maison d’affinage Maurice Dufour inc., Charlevoix

Type
Semi-soft cheese with a washed rind, 50% cow milk and 50% sheep milk.

SAQ Taste Profile
Fruity and vibrant

Try the recipe for Artichoke and Tomme d'Elles cheese Pizza

Migneron de Charlevoix

M.F 29% | Humidity 47%

Provenance
Maison d’affinage Maurice Dufour inc., Charlevoix

Type
Semi-soft cheese with a washed rind and a buttery, nutty flavour.

SAQ Taste Profile
Aromatic and mellow

Try the recipe for Cheese and Vegetable Soup

Le Presqu’île

M.F 26% | Humidity 47%

Provenance
Fromagerie Champêtre, Lanaudière

Type
Semi-soft cheese with a washed rind, with a light, wild mushroom taste.

SAQ Taste Profile
Fruity and vibrant

Try the recipe for Presqu’île, Potato, Pancetta and Pecan Salad with Cider Vinegar Dressing

Le St-Félicien bio

M.F 29% | Humidity 42%

Provenance
Fromagerie Ferme des Chutes, Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean

Type
Organic, lactose-free semi-soft cheese with a taste similar to cheddar.

SAQ Taste Profile
Fruity and medium-bodied

Try the recipe for Four-Cheese Fondue

Le curé Labelle

M.F 28% | Humidity 45%

Provenance
Fromagerie Le P’tit Train du Nord, Laurentides

Type
Semi-soft cheese with a washed rind, smoky and floral smell, light nutty taste.

SAQ Taste Profile
Aromatic and mellow

Try the recipe for Mignons leeks cannellonis

Le Cabouron

M.F 28% | Humidity 48%

Provenance
Fromagerie Blackburn, Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean

Type
Semi-soft, pressed uncooked cheese. Fresh milky smell with a buttery and nutty taste.

SAQ Taste Profile
Fruity and medium-bodied

Try the recipe for Roasted Pepper Soup with Le Cabouron Cheese

Le chant du coq

M.F 31% | Humidity 52%

Provenance
Fromagerie La Normandinoise, Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean

Type
Semi-soft cheese, surface-ripened, washed rind. Creamy, melting texture. Layer of edible ash in the center.

SAQ Taste Profile
Fruity and medium-bodied

Try the recipe for Raclette for all tastes

Firm cheese

L’Allegretto

Provenance
Fromagerie La Vache à Maillotte, Abitibi

Type
Firm, raw sheep milk cheese with a washed rind.

SAQ Taste Profile
Aromatic and mellow

Try the recipe for Allegretto Cheese Fougasse with Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto

Le Napoléon

M.F 31% | Humidity 39%

Provenance
Fromagerie Blackburn, Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean

Type
Firm, pressed and cooked farmhouse cheese made with raw milk. Soft taste, fruity aroma.

SAQ Taste Profile
Fruity and medium-bodied

Try the recipe for Western Omelette

Fleur d’Ail

M.F 27% | Humidity 42%

Provenance
Fromagerie au Village, Abitibi-Témiscamingue

Type
Firm, unripened cheese, flavoured with garlic flower. Finalist for the Canadian Cheeses Grand Prizes in 2006.

SAQ Taste Profile
Delicate and Light

Try the recipe for Crunchy Broccoli and Chicken Salad with Firm Cheese

Blue-veined cheese

Le Ciel de Charlevoix

M.F 33% | Humidity 44%

Provenance
Maison d’affinage Maurice Dufour inc., Charlevoix

Type
Creamy, blue-veined cheese with a subtle taste.

SAQ Taste Profile
Fruity and sweet

Try the recipe for Le Ciel de Charlevoix Blue Cheese-stuffed Baby Potatoes

What’s an artisanal cheese ?

The milk used in the making of artisanal cheeses is not produced by the artisan cheese maker himself, but usually comes from local or regional farms. This is the only difference between artisanal cheese and the « farmhouse » denomination.

Artisanal cheeses can be made from raw or pasteurized milk. Just like farmhouse cheese, it is produced in small quantities, allowing the artisan cheese maker to follow each cheese’s evolution during and after its production.

The quality of artisanal cheese is more predictable than farmhouse cheese, but the typical distinctions of artisanal cheese can be affected by the fact that the milk comes from more than one source.

How can you preserve the freshness of artisanal cheeses at home?

The secret to good preservation is in the packaging.

Whole cheeses should be stored in their original packaging.
All the others should be wrapped in wax paper and then aluminum foil.
Firm cheeses can be stored wrapped in aluminum foil only.
Once suitably wrapped, your cheese can be placed in an airtight plastic container.
You can also store several kinds of cheese in the same container providing that they are the same type.

Tip: You should avoid storing cheese in plastic wrap, which prevents the cheese from breathing and alters the cheese’s rind or interior.

Advice:

Make sure your packaging seals the cheese to prevent it from drying.
You should never remove the rind because it acts as protective coating to preserve the flavour.