La Tur

One of my all time favorite cheeses, the tiny wheel of La Tur packs a ton of rich, fresh and creamy flavor that is not to be missed! It's also one of the rare cheeses to be made with three types of milk: a blend of sheep's milk, goat's milk, and cow's milk.

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la tur cheese — A barely ripe, still crumbly but spreadable wheel of La Tur cheese

Quick Facts:

Milk: Goat, Sheep, Cow
Flavor: Creamy, milky, earthy
Aroma: Mild to slightly barnyard-esque
Family: Brie
Pasteurized? Yes
Vegetarian? No
Texture: Soft-ripened, creamy with a liquid top layer when perfectly ripe; spreadable but slightly crumbly when young
Rind: Mold
Country of Origin: Italy
Region of Origin: Piemonte
Producer: Caseificio dell'Alta Langa

What kind of cheese is La Tur?

Although made in the brie-style, it is its own unique beast. When perfectly ripe, the interior is creamy, soft, and very spreadable. The outer rim of the interior cheese, directly under the rind, should be a near-liquid consistency that oozes out once you cut into it.

When slightly underripe, the cheese should still have a creamy rind, but the interior will have more of a crumbly fresh chevre texture, but is still wonderfully delicious.

Do you eat the rind?

Yes! If there are any particularly hard pieces of the rind, either eat around those or cut them off and discard them. The entire rind is edible though and this is a cheese where I highly recommend eating the rind. Some even say it's the most delicious part of the cheese!

Is La Tur cheese pasteurized?

Technically it's thermalized ( like being pasteurized at a low temperature ) , which means that there is more of a chance for bacteria growth than some high temperature pasteurized cheeses. I'm a food blogger, not a doctor, so please consult with your physician before making any cheese-eating decisions that might affect your health.

What does Alta Langa La Tur Cheese taste like?

Rich and creamy, the light straw-colored La Tur predictably has a full, milky flavor. I've even heard some compare it to ice cream! Lots of milkfats mean the cheese coats your tongue and the flavor will linger after you've finished your bite. There's also a yeasty flavor with a small amount of "barn"-type flavor from the sheep milk. Goat milk adds a bit of brightness and balances it all out. It does verge on pungent territory, but not overwhelmingly like a funkier brie. It has a most rind that does not overtake any large part of the cheese, rather crinkles around it softly.

How to eat La Tur Cheese

La Tur is almost always sold in individual cupcake-sized wheels. To serve:

Remove the wheel of cheese from the packaging, and remove both the paper wrapper from the bottom and the thin paper with the logo on it from the top.
Place on a plate or cheese board with a small, thin knife like a paring knife or cheese knife
Serve with crusty bread like sliced French baguettes, or a slightly sweet cracker (something with dried fruit), and sliced fruit like dried figs, fresh kiwi, grapes, or strawberries

Where to buy La Tur Cheese?

It may come as pictured in this post in a small plastic-wrapped cardboard container, but I have also seen it in an entirely plastic container.

Whole Foods
Kroger
Costco (when you're lucky)

Suggested Wine Pairings:

In general, wines from the specific area the cheese you are pairing them with tend to be a great match. That's great news, since La Tur is from the Piedmont region, one of Italy's premiere wine making regions! I am mostly a white wine drinker, but the red options do lovely with this cheese due to the slight funk. I suggest the following:

Barbaresco
Barbera
Moscato d'Asti
Asti Spumante

How to Store La Tur:

Prior to opening it, toss it in the fridge in whatever packaging it came in. The store will say it's good for about a week. It is my non-medical-professional opinion that it is good until it develops bad-looking mold (not the light, white, misty looking mold that is supposed to be on soft-ripened cheese.)

After opening it, avoid wrapping it in anything (cough cough like plastic wrap) that could suffocate it. I usually loosely wrap my cheese in parchment paper or foil, but if you want to get fancy you can use beeswax wrap or special cheese paper.