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A Monk's Secret

2009 27 min
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This short documentary tells the story of a cheese—the famous Oka—and of the monks who make it. The Trappists in Oka, Quebec, began making the cheese around 1890, when a Trappist monk from France taught them the recipe, which dates back to the 11th century. Today, Brother Albéric continues to make the cheese at an abbey in Manitoba according to traditional methods and a secret recipe written in a mysterious notebook.

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A Monk's Secret

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This short documentary tells the story of a cheese—the famous Oka—and of the monks who make it. The Trappists in Oka, Quebec, began making the cheese around 1890, when a Trappist monk from France taught them the recipe, which dates back to the 11th century. Today, Brother Albéric continues to make the cheese at an abbey in Manitoba according to traditional methods and a secret recipe written in a mysterious notebook.

Religion, Beliefs and Ethics Food and Food Industries All subjects
  • director
    Yves Étienne Massicotte
  • producer
    Anne-Marie Rocher
  • executive producer
    Jacques Turgeon

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Education

Ages 10 to 11
School subjects
Ethics and Religious Culture - Religious Diversity/Heritage
The teacher can ask students to do research into the steps of cheesemaking and find out the differences between industrial and small-scale production; organize a tasting of cheeses including Oka; put together a cheese recipe book featuring each student’s favourite dish; locate where Trappist monks have settled using a map of Canada, and list the highlights of their history.

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