Marin Petite Truffle

The Marin French Cheese Company is slowly becoming one of my favorite small-batch cheese producers. When I first tried their Petite Breakfast, I was underwhelmed, but I’m glad I didn’t stop sampling what they have to offer after that one small disappointment. Since then, I’ve been lucky enough to hit the jackpot with two of their other products: Petite Boo and, more recently, Petite Truffle. 

Since I have already written about the long history of Marin French Cheese Company, I won't go into all the details again. You can read more about how the company started at the following link: Marin French Cheese Co.

Petite Truffle packs a punch

The first time I sampled Petite Truffle, I selected a very young version. When this cheese is less aged, the flavor is subtle. There's no denying the garlicky taste from the truffle paste, but I highly recommend trying this one when it has had a chance to mature. With the older version, notes of mushroom from the beautiful white bloomy rind are more prominent, and the garlicky flavor is even more pronounced and earthy. 

I prefer truffle flavor that comes from actual truffles rather than a paste or oil, but there’s less risk of the taste being overpowering with paste versus oil. Truffle oil can be a little too in your face and intensely pungent. Even though using actual truffles would result in a more subtle but complex taste, it would also cause the price to jump significantly. The truffle paste in this cheese is on the verge of being excessive but stops right before stepping over that line.

Still, Petite Truffle packs a garlicky punch that some might find shockingly intense. It even smells strong with garlicky vapors wafting from the package the minute the cheese loses its wrapper. I didn’t mind the strong aroma or taste, and with the more ripened version, the mushroom and umami flavors that emerge balance the garlic notes nicely. Any nuttiness, however, is missing or masked, but the cheese doesn’t have or need a lot of depth when the two prominent flavors, mushroom from the rind and spiciness from the truffle paste, are such heavy hitters.   

Aged Petite Truffle is smooth and creamy

The texture difference between the young and older versions of Petites Truffle is what’s most striking. Even though the young version is nice, firmer with a bit of a chew, the aged version is where it's at. It's silky and smooth, just lovely and very creamy. The outer rind is delicate and soft, but holds the interior paste nicely. 

Truffle paste flavos Petite Truffle

Overall, it's a really wonderful little find. As strong as the flavors are, they're not too much if you go in knowing this isn't a feeble little wallflower of a cheese. It's like a dairy version of Dug, the dog in Up, who's also a little bit much, on the verge of too much, but everyone absolutely loves him anyway. 

Because Petite Truffle has such strong flavors, one would think it might be limiting when pairing with other foods; however, it goes well with quite a lot. Crusty French bread is always a hit, but I tried it with sweet, whole-wheat biscuit crackers and with thin rye crisps and thought both worked well. Serve it on a cheese board with prosciutto, toasted walnuts, honey, green grapes, and plain crackers. It’s an excellent choice for hot dishes, too. Try it with warm potato chips, on burgers, or in a baked noodle dish. 

As far as beverages go, Petite Truffle is best with Champagne, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, or an unoaked Chardonnay. Try it with Pinot Noir, Merlot, or Gamay. It also pairs nicely with a crisp cider or tawny port. If beer is more your style, go with a blonde ale, cream ale, or a saison. The bold truffle flavor can even stand up to a porter. 

Original Photo by Hector Uribe - Reisling