The Oldest Edible Cheese In North America Dates Back To The 17th Century

Cheese: No matter the variety, you can't go wrong. Whether it's a fresh mozzarella or a 30-year-old cheddar, it's bound to taste good (well, except maybe for this 2,600-year-old cheese found in an Egyptian necropolis). There's a main difference between young and old cheese, other than age, and that's its moisture content. Fresh cheese is soft and creamy whereas aged cheese is harder and more crumbly. So, what is the oldest cheese in North America?

Well, it's not the oldest cheese itself, but the oldest type of cheese. It's called Paillasson, and to find it you'll have to travel to an island called Île d'Orléans in Quebec. This is where French explorer Samuel de Champlain landed in the early 1600s with three cattle and settlers later arrived with their fromage recipes from home, which were adapted to create this traditional North American cheese. Its texture is similar to that of halloumi cheese, which is semi-hard and will remain that way when heated; it smells slightly like pancakes; and has a buttery, salty, and milky taste. This cheese cannot be replicated because its flavor is unique to the island, due to the mats on which it dries (paillasson translates to "doormat"). They are made from reeds in a specific part of the St. Lawrence River, which is home to special microorganisms that give the reeds a unique flavor that is then transferred to the cheese. When served, it is grilled until golden and crispy and cut into a wedge.

As more families arrived on the island and society modernized, fewer people made their own cheese. The arrival of new laws happened, too, with one provision in 1965 that restricted raw cheese production and required unpasteurized milk cheeses to be aged for 60 days, which would cause Paillasson to liquefy. With this new rule, commercially making the cheese was no longer allowed, and it nearly disappeared from the island.

However, one man named Gerard Aubin couldn't live without his native cheese, so he continued to make it for his family and friends while trying to figure out a way to once again make it for the masses. In 1993, he hired a microbiologist to help replicate the cheese, then met retired radiologist Jocelyn Labbé who became his business partner. The duo, along with Diane Marcoux, finally opened Les Fromages de l'Isle d'Orléans in 2004, a 17th-century-themed shop and the only company that produces this cheese. So, next time you're in the Great North, in addition to tasting these 25 Canadian foods you need to try at least once in your lifetime, head over to Quebec for a taste of Paillasson.