Quince Paste For Cheese

125 g/4.4 oz - France

Quince paste has long been a specialty in Spain and elsewhere around the Mediterranean, where it's called membrillo. This jar is contains quince paste that's thick and flavorful, but not solid and sliceable, like some membrillo.



Serving Suggestions:

Quince paste and sheep cheese, often Spanish Manchego, are a classic pairing. In general, quince paste is particularly nice with savories. Try it as an accompaniment to meat and cheese courses, on crostini with fresh cheese, alongside pâtés, or in sandwiches - create your own specialty!

It's also a great way to add an undertone of flavor to apple or pear tarts, and yes, it's wonderful on morning toast.



About Quinces:

When raw, the beautiful, yellow-gold fruit has a winningly pleasant aroma with notes of pineapple, but is hard and too astringent to eat. But when quince is cooked with sugar, it turns rosy pink and delicious, with a rich, apple-pear-like flavor and texture and soft floral overtones.



About the Producer:

L'Epicurien's philosophy is to create artisanally produced products that respect tradition and terroir, that wonderful French term encompassing the unique qualities imparted to a plant by the land upon which it's grown. Located in the heart of the Pays d'Oc in southern France, near Montpellier, L'Epicurien benefits from the deeply anchored traditions of a very rich and diversified region that produces a bounty of fruits.

Bernard Gulvout, a Breton chef in exile in the chic Paris suburbs, started L'Epicurien in 1982 as a gourmet food shop, but by the early 1990s, he'd decided to focus exclusively on his very popular jams, fruit spreads, and regional products. "Jam, it is alchemy between cooking - sugar - and acidity," according to Bernard Gulvout, "so that the equation is perfect, we have an extraordinary weapon, the lemon."

Taking a bold step, Bernard also moved his production to the south to be closer to the source of some of the best fruit and vegetables in France (or in the world!). "Starting here was difficult," he said. "While moving, I lost my Parisian customers who did not regard me any more as one of their local producers. And in Languedoc I had to prove I was reliable before acquiring a regional reputation."

But L'Epicurien caught on, and Bernard's passion continues to inspire his recipes and his business. He creates recipes inspired by a chance remark, and he pores over old books of the Fabre library of Montpellier, finding old recipes for regional products that disappeared over the centuries and reviving them. This has also prompted him to convince local farmers to plant heirloom varieties that have almost disappeared from the region, sometimes even providing them with the seeds.

Ingredients: Quince 53%, cane sugar, concentrated lemon juice, fruit pectin (jelling agent)