The Trappist monks of Oka, Que., spent decades making the soft and creamy Oka cheese, but sold that business in the 1980s and have shifted to selling chocolate-covered fruitcakes and caramel.
The monks also sell syrup made from the local fir trees, which they say is a one-of-a-kind product that works well in water or vodka. They’ve built an assembly line and have hired a handful of employees. The products are sold online and at a local gift shop. The monks quickly became world-renowned for their Oka cheese and built a large facility to produce it. They would eventually sell the factory and recipe to Agropur in 1981.
The monks sold their monastery in 2009 and moved into a smaller, more up-to-date home complete with geothermal heating and insulated windows.