young California goat farmer who introduced the
idea in the U.S. with her first marinated cabécou
in 1984. Chenel had spent time in France and
no doubt spotted the glass jars of oil-submerged
chèvre in neighborhood bistros and wine bars.
Back in Northern California, where she launched
her eponymous creamery in the early 1980s, Chenel
packed jars with thin disks of goat cheese and
topped them with oil perfumed with fresh thyme,
rosemary, and black peppercorns. That blend
remains the creamery's top seller today, although
the company recently dropped the name cabécou in
favor of "marinated goat cheese."
P
reserving cheese in olive oil is an ancient
practice in the Middle East, but American
consumers are just discovering the potential.
In recent years, a handful of new producers and
new flavors have brought more excitement to this
category, and the cheese-board boom has given
these marinated products an extra boost. The tasty
oil, consumers are learning, is like a gift with
purchase. And who doesn't love a two-fer?
Labneh (yogurt cheese) rolled into balls and
preserved under olive oil is a beloved breakfast
staple in Lebanon and Syria. But that wasn't the
culinary tradition that motivated Laura Chenel, the
The star of pandemic-era cheese boards, cheeses
preserved in oil are gaining a following in the U.S.
Demystifying
Marinated Cheese
BY JANET FLETCHER
SPECIALTY FOOD SPECIALTYFOOD.COM SPECIALTY FOOD SPECIALTYFOOD.COM
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