Oka cheese
Oka | |
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Country of origin | Canada |
Region, town | Laurentians (Laurentides in French), Oka |
Source of milk | Cow |
Pasteurised | Sometimes |
Texture | semi-soft/creamy |
Aging time | 1-2 months |
Certification | - |
Oka is a semi-soft washed rind cheese that was originally manufactured by Trappist monks located in Oka, Quebec, Canada. The cheese is named after the town. It has a distinct flavour and aroma, and is still manufactured in Oka, although now by a commercial company. The recipe was sold in 1981 by Les Pères Trappistes to the Agropur cooperative.[1] It is also manufactured by Trappist Monks at the Our Lady of the Prairies Monastery, located 8 miles southeast of Holland, Manitoba.
Brother Alphonse Juin arrived at the Notre-Dame du Lac Monastery in Quebec in 1893 with a recipe for Port-du-Salut cheese. He "tweaked and adjusted" the recipe, and Oka was born.[1] Since that time, Quebec has become a major producer of Canadian Cheese.
Oka cheese has a pungent aroma and soft creamy flavour, sometimes described as nutty and fruity.[2] The cheese, which is made from cow's milk, is covered with a copper-orange, hand-washed rind. Its distinct flavour sets it apart from more common cheeses such as colby and cheddar, and does not go through a cheddaring process.
There are four types of Oka cheese:[2]
- Regular can be made from both pasteurised and raw cow's milk. It is ripened for four weeks.
- Classic is unpasteurized and ripened for two months.
- Providence is of a much more creamy and soft texture than either 'Classic' or 'Regular'.
- Light is similar to 'Regular', but with a lower percentage of fat and always pasteurized.
History
Oka cheese was heavily influenced by the work of the monks of the Cistercian Abbey of Notre-Dame du Lac (fr. Abbaye Cistercienne d'Oka). Within a few years, through an affiliation with the Université de Montréal, the monastery created an agricultural school. Frequently called the Abbaye Notre-Dame-du-Lac, the Trappist monastery became well known for its Port-Salut cheese, made from a Breton recipe brought with them from France.
See also
- Brined cheese
- Trappista cheese, a Trappist cheese from Europe
- List of cheeses