Livarot is a classic cheese of Normandy, France.
It dates back to the 13th century (and smells as if it does) and often is listed alongside Roquefort as one of the best cheeses in the world — depending on personal preferences.
Livarot, which superficially resembles a sticky, orange-tinted Brie, is encircled by five bands to keep the center from bulging outward as it softens during ripening. Traditionally, these were made of dried rushes. Today they more often are made from paper or raffia, which can be green, orange or brown.
The five stripes are reminiscent of the stripes on the uniform of a colonel in the French army, which gives the cheese its nickname, "The Colonel."
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