Made in the town of the same name in Burgundy, Époisses is a cheese made from whole cow's milk with a smooth, sometimes slightly wrinkled, washed rind. Cistercian monks in the village of Époisses began making it in the 16th century and then passed on their know-how to the farmers in the region. Produced in Côte-d'Or as well as Haute-Marne and Orne, it requires between 5 and 8 weeks of maturing in a cool, damp cellar.
A very creamy and subtle, fruity-tasting cheese, Époisses goes perfectly with fruit such as pears or grapes. In 1820, the magistrate and gastronome Brillat-Savarin called it the "king of cheeses". However, it almost disappeared in the 1950s until a farming couple revived production. Awarded AOC and PDO status, Époisses is now one of Burgundy's most famous cheeses!