Comté PDO Cheese

Description

Comté PDO Cheese

About Comté PDO

Comté is one of France’s great cheeses. It’s made high in the Jura Mountains, close to the Swiss border, from huge quantities of raw cow’s milk and a cheesemaking tradition built around entire villages working together.

And I mean huge quantities. It takes roughly 400 litres of milk to make one 40kg wheel of Comté. Unless you’ve got a lotof cows in your back garden, you’re going to need some help.

That’s where the fruitière comes in.

A Village Cheese

For centuries, farmers in the Jura have pooled their milk and taken it to a local village dairy, known as a fruitière. One farmer simply wouldn’t have produced enough milk to make those enormous cheeses, so neighbouring farms worked together.

It’s a wonderfully practical system that became part of the identity of Comté, and it still exists today.

The milk comes from Montbéliarde and French Simmental cows, whose diet is carefully controlled. They graze the local pastures during the warmer months and eat hay during winter; silage isn’t permitted.

At the fruitière, the raw milk is transformed into those enormous wheels before the young cheeses head off to the maturation cellars. There, the affineur takes over, regularly turning, brushing and caring for each wheel while deciding when it has reached its best.

Comté must mature for at least four months, but that’s really only the beginning of the story.

Protected by PDO Tradition

Comté is protected by PDO status — or AOP as you’ll see it written in France — which means there are strict rules governing where and how it can be made.

Production is limited to its designated area around the Jura, and everything from the breeds of cow and their feed to the cheesemaking and maturation is controlled.

It’s one of the things I love about Comté. You’re not simply buying a style of hard cheese; you’re buying something that is completely connected to the landscape, farming and people that produced it.

Comté PDO – Jen’s Tasting Notes

How to Serve and Pair Comté

• Make sure you take it out of the fridge a good hour before you want to eat it so it can come up to room temperature.
• Classic pairings: If you’re enjoying Comté in France, Vin Jaune is the dream pairing. Its oxidative, nutty character works beautifully with the savoury, nutty flavours in the cheese.
• Something a little different: Champagne is one of my favourite partners for Comté. The freshness and bubbles seem to tease out all sorts of flavours you might otherwise miss.
• On the plate: I can quite happily eat Comté completely on its own. If you really want to add something, a handful of almonds gives you a lovely contrast in texture.
• In the kitchen: Comté melts like a dream. Use it in a grilled cheese sandwich, gratin or croque monsieur and it adds a wonderful savoury depth.

Jen’s note: One of my favourite things about Comté is that no two wheels are ever quite the same. The season, the pasture, the altitude and the maturation can all influence what you taste. It’s one of those cheeses where five people can taste the same piece and find five different things. That’s not anyone getting it wrong — that’s Comté.

Buying Comté PDO

• Brand or Producer: Monte Terroirs
• Product name: Comté PDO
• Milk: Cow
• Country: France
• Region: Franche-Comté
• Strength: Medium
• Vegetarian: No
• Suitable for pregnancy: Yes
• Allergens: MILK

Sizes and Prices

• 100g wedge, £3.60
• 500g wedge, £18.00

Storage Advice

• Keep refrigerated
• Wrap in waxed paper or cling film
• Remove from the fridge before serving
• Consume within 10 to 14 days of opening

Delivery and Collection

• UK wide courier delivery
• Click and collect from our Pangbourne shop
• Free local delivery available for selected postcodes

Ingredients (Allergens are listed in capitals)

MILK, starter cultures, rennet, salt