French cheese – Comte
Comté is an ancient cheese. It has been produced since the time of Charlemagne. It is still made in more than 190 cheese dairies, known as the “fruitières” in the Jura plateau. Cheesemakers need about 530 liters of milk – the daily production of 30 cows – to make one Comté weighing approximately 35 kilos (80 pounds). Morning and evening milks from Montbeliarde and Tachete de L’Est cows are mixed. Comté requires a long maturing period called affinage. The cheese is regularly cleaned and rubbed with salted water. The eyes – holes – of the Comté are the result of a correct affinage and should be the size of a pea to a small cherry. Comté has an ivory-coloured paste scattered of holes the size of a hazelnut. Comté has a complex, nutty and caramelized flavour. As an appetizer, Comté is perfect cut into small cubes. Comté is a traditional fondue cheese. Comté can also be grated, chunked or melted.
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