Tete de Moine

oil on wood, 12x12"

Tete de Moine, original artwork by Mike Geno

From the Cheese Portraits series.

"Tete de Moine" translates as "Monk's Head", rumors indicate the shaved cheese is a nod at the monks that shaved their head and originally made this cheese more than 8 centuries ago at the abbey of Bellelay in Switzerland. Traditionally its for eating as paper thin scraped shavings intended to develop the odor and flavor, allowing oxygen to mingle with more surface area.

The somewhat stinky cylinder of unpasteurized, cow's milk is semi hard. The flavor is amazingly big and wonderful from just a thin shaving so I can appreciate the role of the girolle. My generous patron sent me this Boska cheese curler from Holland so I could complete this commission. The curler produces rosettes that resemble chanterelle mushrooms, hence the name it's known as is "girolle" translates as exactly that in French.

Origin: Switzerland

Availability: sold