As crusty old cheeses go, Laguiole is a giant, a 90-pound wheel of natural-rind character from the Aubrac plateau in the region of Rouergue, in southern France, where it is said to have descended from a mountain monastery in the 12th century.
Similar to Cantal, but far less mass-produced, the raw-milk curds of these massive cylinders are uncooked but broken and pressed twice.
The process creates a pelletlike texture inside the fresh cheese that, even after the five or so months of good aging before they land in Philadelphia, is still evident in the interior, which is delightfully both crumbly and creamy.
