This soft, bloomy-rind cheese is made from whole pasteurized milk and contains no modified milk ingredients. Under its white rind, which has a light covering of vegetable ash, is an ivory white interior with a creamy texture and a buttery taste with a hint of mushrooms.

Its name, Mercredi des Cendres, alludes to the ashes on the surface of the cheese and also evokes the religious spirit still present in Quebec. For Catholics, Ash Wednesday, the day after Shrove Tuesday, is a day of penance which marks the beginning of Lent. The label shows a work by a Quebec painter, Claire Côté-Cloutier, which was bought by the cheese maker and which provided the inspiration for this ash-covered cheese.

Mercredi des Cendres cheese is available from the cheese maker and at some supermarkets in the Québec region.