Le Mi-Carême has a slightly bloomy orange rind and an ivory-coloured interior that can be supple or creamy, depending on ripening. It features fresh butter and mushroom aromas with a hint of vegetable, and a fresh taste with nutty mushroom notes. It is lightly salted and becomes bolder as it ages.

This cheese is named for a traditional Catholic holiday still celebrated on Île-aux-Grues today. During the winter, Islanders make colourful costumes, and for a week during Lent they don these costumes each night and go from house to house to have a drink and dance, while the hosts try to guess the identity of the revelers.

Le Mi-Carême was introduced in 2000, the first fine cheese to be produced on Île-aux-Grues. The illustration on the label is by local artist and cheesemaker Jean Vézina.

Cheesemaker

This cheese dairy began in 1976 when 14 producers from the island founded the Société Coopérative Agricole de l’Isle-aux-Grues in order to process their milk into cheese. The operation began in 1977 and took place only in the summer.