The name Le Cendrillon means Cinderella, because Cinderella slept in the hearth and always was covered with ashes. This lovely Canadian goat cheese from Alexis de Portneuf, in St. Raymond de Portneuf, Quebec, also has an ashy exterior and a beautiful, sublime interior.
The Montreal Gazette reports that Le Cendrillon was voted best cheese in the world at the 2009 World Cheese Awards. It was the first time a Canadian cheese won the award, knocking out competition from 2,440 cheeses from 34 countries.
It is an aged goat cheese, soft ripened with surface mold and a delicate coating of vegetable ash. The shape is a long log, truncated pyramid in cross section. It has a silky, pungent, almost runny layer under the rind, while the center remains firm, flaky and citrusy.
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