Ossau-Iraty is a traditional, unpasteurized from the picturesque mountains of the Pyrenees that hold a fertile grazing land for the milk-giving ewes. This cheese unites two regions of France in the Western Pyrénées: Ossau in the valley of the Bearn and Iraty in the beech forests of the Pays Basque. 
 
An uncooked and pressed cheese, Ossau-Iraty is semi-hard in texture with a thick, buff rind marked with rust and gray molds. Beneath the brown and orange rind is an ivory white, supple and slightly grainy interior that has a creamy and buttery mouth feel. Flavours are herbaceous, nutty and fruity if the produce is from winter while the summer cheeses tend to reveal aromas of grass and flowers.