Made in the heart of the Pays d’Auge, Livarot is a soft cheese with a washed rind, sandy to touch and yellowish-orange in colour. This Normandy cheese has a strong smell and powerful taste that evokes smoked meat, with animal notes after prolonged ripening. It is nicknamed “The Colonel” because of the five grassy strips that surround it, which were originally intended to stop it from sagging during ageing. These strips are made with reedmace reaped in wetlands before being gathered in bundles and left to dry. The cheese is made from Normande cow’s milk and is ideally paired with red wine or an abbey beer (in moderation).