This blue-veined, semi-soft, uncooked pressed cheese is made from pasteurized milk and has a thin and moist greyish rind. The cream-coloured interior features well distributed of blue veins, and has a crumbly texture that becomes creamy over time. The Ermite est disponible à la fromagerie, dans les fromageries spécialisées, ainsi que dans les supermarchés. has strong flavours of mushrooms, fermentation and cellar. Salty, sharp and long in the mouth, it has notes of nuts, mushrooms and fruit pits.

Produced since 1943, the Ermite is Quebec’s first blue cheese. The word “ermite” (French for hermit) describes a person (often a monk) who has chosen a spiritual life of solitude and contemplation. This cheese is made by Benedictine monks of the Saint Benedict’s Abbey in Saint-Benoît-du-Lac, who provided the inspiration for its name.

The Ermite is available from the cheese maker, at specialty cheese shops, and in supermarkets.