397709 Wed May 02 13:19:28 -0700 2007 10 27 General Chowhounding Topics 0 2535327 in a word - YUM. this is the best cheese i've ever tasted. I bought some Ossau-Iraty, made in France from sheep's milk (pasteurized). The mouthfeel is really fine and creamy for a firm cheese, and the flavour is beautiful - not sublte, but not overpowering either. What I love most, though, is the aftertaste. It almost feels like peanut butter... Not sure exactly how to identify the flavour, but it's really nice. I've heard that unpasteurized Iraty is even better. Can't wait to try it! Just sharing. Wed May 02 13:19:29 -0700 2007 77729 bellywizard 1 2540406 My understanding is that it's from Spain, and the Pyrennes. I saw it on the menu tonight at Press restaurant in St. Helena and remembered your post. Can't wait to try it. Thu May 03 22:05:53 -0700 2007 2535327 18222 maria lorraine 2 2540477 It's an ancient Basque cheese with a 400 year history (some claim 2,000 years), though its AOC status is much more recent. I love it too. Istara is a good brand. Thu May 03 23:17:09 -0700 2007 2540406 10039 Melanie Wong 2 2545325 It's from the French Pyrenees not Spain and it's a wonderful cheese similar to Ptit Basque and Abbaye de Belloc - all have similar textures and are all sheep's milk cheeses from the same region. If you like Ossau, you really should check out Abbaye - it's made by Benedictine Monks (in the Abbey of Belloc) and I've only seen it with raw milk. It's not as rich and nutty as the Ossau, but it makes up for it with delicate, sweet flavors and a great finish. Yum! The Ptit Basque is pretty widely available and is definitely is worth trying if it's the only one available, but try to find the Ossau and Abbaye if you can. I actually prefer the pasteurized version of the Ossau Istara to the fermier - raw version. The lush, semi-firm textureof the pasteurized one seems to work better with the nutty butter flavors of the cheese than the raw one which I found to be a tad sharp and the texture a bit too dry. To me, the best part of the sheep cheeses from this area is the rich and luscious texture and the raw version didn't deliver. Sat May 05 21:18:20 -0700 2007 2540406 10943 mimosa 1 4749729 I just had to register on "CHOW" to make a comment re this most delicious cheese which I have recently tasted for the first time. It was bought at Marks & Spencer stating that it's a sheep's milk cheese from the Larceveau dairy on the French side of the Pyrenees. It's so moorish though that it requires more self discipline than I have, so am just a tad concerned about the calories!!. Sun Jun 07 05:37:28 -0700 2009 2535327 1081263 Jo Rowe 2 4749846 Moreish. Moorish is something entirely different. (In this case, the distinction might be helpful for those unfamiliar with the term.) Sun Jun 07 06:56:37 -0700 2009 4749729 16734 Lizard 2 4750252 Moorish. Confused here as well. Fairly well-versed in Moorish Iberian history, and I can't figure out how the word is being used here, Jo Rowe. Please explain, and... ...welcome to Chowhound. Sun Jun 07 10:13:34 -0700 2009 4749729 18222 maria lorraine 3 4750420 As noted, Jo Rowe likely meant 'moreish', which means something quite good and tempting to continue consuming, i.e. 'This crack is moreish'. Sun Jun 07 11:34:34 -0700 2009 4750252 16734 Lizard 4 4751525 Yes, duly noted earlier. Thanks. But isn't it ironic, even so, that the misspelling is moorish, given it's Iberia. And truth be told, to call something "moorish" is, in many Mediterranean areas, an insult. I'd like to believe you're right, Lizard, that it's more-ish. Certainly a word I'm not hip to, even though I try to keep up. And no clarification yet from JR from just above . Best, M. Sun Jun 07 19:26:59 -0700 2009 4750420 18222 maria lorraine 5 4751915 Then you're not reading enough British lit, usage would be as Lizard explained and matches the context. Sun Jun 07 23:46:45 -0700 2009 4751525 10039 Melanie Wong 6 4752577 Silly me. I just checked a couple of British dictionaries, and there the word is as a common descriptor for food you can't get enough of. Call me edified. Mon Jun 08 07:55:28 -0700 2009 4751915 18222 maria lorraine