Posted on December 22nd, 2008 by admin
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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Posted on December 22nd, 2008 by admin
The first Epoisses was made by monks in the Abbaye de Citeaux, in the heart of Burgundy. It is said that Napoleon liked this cheese very much. Epoisses is a remarkable cheese and follows a complicated traditional making process. It is one of last cheeses involving milk coagulation in France. The milk comes from cows that have grazed for three months in the meadows of Burgundy. Epoisses is first washed with salty water. The cheese is kept in a humid cellar. After one month, Epoisses is washed again with a mix of rainwater and Marc de Bourgogne’s spirit, two to three times a week. Epoisses has a powerful rich flavour, salty and creamy with a pungent smell.
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Posted on December 22nd, 2008 by admin
Named after a village in Normandy, Livarot is one of the oldest cheeses in France. The straps of Livarot are reminiscent of a uniform’s stripes, giving the cheese its nickname “The Colonel”. Livarot is circled by five straps of rush leaves or paper that prevent the cheese from collapsing during maturing. Livarot still follows the ancient making method. It is washed with salty water and turned regularly during the maturing process.It is a very strong smelling cheese. The full spicy flavour gives the cheese a strong personality. Considered as one of the greatest world cheeses by some cheese lovers. Let the Livarot breathe for 10 minutes before serving to allow the flavour to develop. Serve as an appetizer with crusty French bread or as a dessert cheese with fruits such as apples, grapes or pears.
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Posted on December 22nd, 2008 by admin
Munster from Alsace is not the same cheese that most Americans are familiar with. This cheese comes exclusively from an area spreading between the East of the Vosges in Alsace and the West of Lorraine (where the cheese is called Géromé). Back in the seventh century Irish monks settled in what is now called Munster Valley in Alsace. They created “Munster Kaes”, their goal being to preserve milk and feed their people. Farmers still use the traditional way to make Munster. The cheese is rubbed by hand with a solution of rock, salt and water. This will help the growth of bacteria giving a strong flavour to the cheese and preventing mould to developing. This cheese initially matures outside for one week. Before being transferred into caves next to older cheeses. Every other day the Munsters are washed and brushed. The cheese has a strong and powerful aroma and is often eaten with baked potatoes and finely chopped onions. It goes well with beer.
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Posted on December 22nd, 2008 by admin
Saint Nectaire is an ancient cheese, similar to cheeses made in monasteries. Only cheeses made on farms still follow the traditional methods. The cheese is made from cows’ milk from the mountains of Auvergne. It is heated and coagulated with rennet. The curd is pressed into the molds by hand. The cheese is then removed, salted and wrapped in cloth. Before the affinage, Saint Nectaire is pressed again. Finally, the cheeses age in cellars for a minimum of three weeks. Saint Nectaire has a nutty and fruity flavour with a touch of salt and spice. It is a good choice for a cheeseboard. It goes well with light and fruity red wine such as Beaujolais.
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