Édel de Cléron on plate. Arnaud 25 / wikimedia / 2006 / CC BY-SA 3.0
Édel de Cléron is a small round soft cheese made from pasteurized cow’s milk. The cheese is aged for about 3 weeks in brine, then wrapped in cloth and then tree bark.
Inside, the cheese gets quite runny as it ages, runny enough to eat with a spoon. The rind is also edible and has a white mould on it.
Edel de Cléron is similar to Vacherin cheeses. It is made by Fromagerie Perrin Cléron in Franche-Comté, the same area as the Swiss and French Vacherins are made in.
It is a somewhat expensive cheese.
History Notes
Edel de Cléron is made by the Fromagerie Perrin Cléron, in Cléron, in Franche-Comté, France. The dairy was founded in 1965 by Jean Perrin and his wife. When he died, his wife and two sons took over the business, with Jean Luc going to a business school for dairy in Mamirolle. It was Jean Luc who invented the “Edel de Cléron” cheese. It is called “Edel” because of the powdery white covering on the rind being reminiscent of “Edelweiss”.
Édel de Cléron on counter at store. Arnaud 25 / wikimedia / 2017 / CC BY-SA 4.0