Top 25 Quebecois Pasteurized Milk Cheeses

Oka is a pale yellow Canadian cheese made from raw or pasteurized cow's milk. It has an intense aroma and a semi-firm consistency, while the flavors are creamy, fruity, and nutty. The cheese melts exceptionally well and comes in two main versions: regular, which is aged for 30 days, and classic, aged for 60 days. It is believed that Oka cheese was first produced by Trappist monks from the eponymous city near Montreal. Serve this Canadian classic with cashews, walnuts, pecans, apples, figs, or grapes.Expand

Le Douanier is a Canadian semi-soft cheese produced in Quebec by master cheese maker Fritz Kaiser since 2000. It's made from pasteurized cow's milk. The cheese has a washed and brushed rind, and it matures for about 9 weeks. Its texture is smooth and supple, filled with small eyes, and there is a layer of vegetable ash running through the middle. The aromas are earthy, milky, and rustic, while the flavors are creamy, mild, and reminiscent of green apples and nuts with aging. The line of ash in the middle symbolizes the Lacolle border crossing between Quebec and the US, and the name of the cheese means customs officer. Le Douanier has won the Grand Champion award at the Canadian Chese Grand Prix in 2004.Expand

Le Cendrillon is a Canadian cheese hailing from Quebec. The cheese is made from pasteurized goat's milk. Underneath its ash-coated rind, the texture is smooth, soft, and creamy. It's shaped into triangular logs, and the flavors are semi-strong, sour, and acidic when mature. When young, the flavor is milder. Le Cendrillon (lit. Cinderella) has won the title of Best Cheese in the World at the World Cheese Awards in 2009. It's recommended to pair it with a glass of white Loire wine or amber ale.Expand

Belle Creme is a Canadian triple-cream Brie-style cheese made from pasteurized cow's milk and cream. The cheese is produced in the Québec region and has a bloomy rind. Underneath it, there is a creamy, smooth, and buttery texture with mushroomy and nutty aromas. The flavor of Belle Creme is rich and buttery with hints of salt. It is recommended to serve this cheese with apples and a glass of fruity beer on the side.Expand

Brise du Matin is a Canadian Brie-style cheese produced in the region of Québec. This cow's milk cheese has a bloomy white rind that hides its cream-colored body with a buttery, tender, and creamy texture. The aroma of Brise du Matin is fresh, while the flavors are nutty, buttery, and mushroomy. The flavors become more pronounced with further aging of the cheese. It is recommended to pair it with a glass of blonde ale, which nicely complements the creaminess of Brise du Matin. Interestingly, there is also a low-fat version of this cheese, known as Légère Brise du Matin.Expand

Allegretto is a Canadian cheese produced in La Sarre, Québec. The climate in the Abitibi region results in pastures which have a higher sugar content, and that is the reason for sweeter milk from the sheep. That milk is used to produce this firm cheese with a fresh and clean aroma. The sheep's milk is thermalized, and the cheese is pressed and aged for at least 120 days. Underneath its natural rind, Allegretto hides a creamy texture and nutty, slightly tangy, fruity, mellow, and sweet flavors. It is recommended to grate this cheese over pasta or use it in grilled cheese sandwiches prepared with sourdough bread.Expand

La Sauvagine is a soft Canadian triple-cream cheese hailing from Quebec. It's made from cow's milk and has a washed rind. The texture is creamy, supple, buttery, and runny, while the flavors are fresh and buttery, with hints of mushrooms. La Sauvagine is named after migratory birds such as geese, ducks, and teals that cover the Quebec sky in the fall. It's recommended to pair this cheese with a glass of IPA beer, and serve it with cumin bread.Expand

L'Étoile de St-Raymond is a Canadian brie-style triple cream cheese hailing from Quebec. The cheese is made from a combination of pasteurized cow's milk and cream. Underneath its bloomy, ash-coated rind, the texture is creamy, smooth, and buttery. The aroma is mushroomy, while the flavors are buttery, milky, and grassy. This soft cheese has won numerous awards and it was a Bloomy Rind Cheese category finalist at the 2014 Sélection Caseus.Expand

Le Reflet de Portneuf is a Canadian cheese hailing from Quebec. The cheese is made from a combination of pasteurized cow's milk and cream. Underneath its washed rind, the texture is soft, buttery, and creamy. The flavors are creamy, mushroomy, and buttery. It's recommened to pair it with a bottle of IPA or a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon. This cheese has won many awards, including a silver medal at the World Cheese Awards in 2016.Expand

Grey Owl is a Canadian cheese produced by Fromagerie Le Detour in Notre-Dame-du-Lac, Quebec. The cheese is made from goat's milk and it's easily distinguishable by its natural, wrinkly, ashy rind. Underneath the rind, the texture is firm and dense, but it becomes soft and crumbly on the palate. As it ages, the texture softens, becoming silky smooth, especially near the rind. The aromas are fresh and goaty, while the flavors are sharp, tangy, and lemony. The name Grey Owl refers not only to the color of the rind, but it also honors one of Canada's first conservationist – Archie Belaney, a.k.a. Grey Owl. It's recommended to serve it with honeycomb and smoked salmon. Pair it with a dry Riesling or a crisp Sauvignon Blanc.Expand