Monk's head cheese

I had never come across Tête de Moine cheese in England.   I wouldn't claim to be especially knowledgeable about cheeses, and perhaps it is hugely popular and I just missed it.  But for whatever reason, France is where I discovered it.

It's a Swiss cheese, from a francophone region, which possibly explains its popularity in France.  It comes in small cylinders, and to consume it you chop one end off, fix it to a board and then scrape the cheese with a circular scraper to make little florets.   It's great for making apéros, for a light starter or as part of a cheese course, with a medium flavour and slightly chewy texture.   Very nice too.