Past Newsletters

Vol. 4 No. 10

Time-Honored Cheeses in the French Tradition

Our first two selections this month hail from a land known for its elegant style and romantic language. Originating in the lush mountain meadows of France, we present to you these distinctive cheeses that will add a bit of flair to your dining and inspire all who indulge in them to add a little savoir faire to their own life.

Comte, How the French Say Cheese

Comté (pronounced con-tay) is a cheese made using time honored traditions in the Franche-Comte region of France, in the Jura Mountains bordering Switzerland. These plateaus, known for their rugged terrain but lush green fields, categorize Comte as a "mountain" cheese.

Comté is not only a world renowned cheese with subtle aromas that titillates the taste buds of gourmets. It is also, and above all, a valuable foodstuff, wholesome, natural and an essential ingredient in achieving a balanced diet. The outstanding nutritional quality of Comté is the result of the traditional manner in which it is produced which gives precedence to nature and to the seasons.

The main characteristic of Comté is its exceptional aromatic diversity. A study carried out in 1993 by a professional tasting jury identified more than 200 aromatic components. It is not necessary to be an expert however for tasting different Comtés to be a surprising experience. One young Comté may exude a distinct odor of fresh hazelnuts while another will reveal a more discreet touch of nutmeg. A young, 6-month old Comté will bring to mind the delicate smell of buttery mashed potatoes while an older, more patiently aged specimen like the one we bring you may surprise you with its cascade of fruity, spicy, and roasted flavors that unfold gradually and lastingly in the palate. Each Comté has its own unique aromatic and unpredictable perfume to set free. This exceptional diversity can be attributed to a couple of different factors: The first is connected to the diversity of the land itself. The apparent unity and geological and historical coherence of the region do not detract from the variety of the soils, the microclimates and the flora which naturally create what could be called "cru" just like in the world of wine-making. In the heart of the Jura massif, the old folk are even capable of distinguishing in which cheese dairy a particular cheese was made with their eyes closed. The second factor is attributed to the duration of the maturing period which enables nature to unfold its divine alchemy at a leisurely pace.

All Comte is graded using a 20 point grading system. A green label ensures the cheese has been graded 15 points or higher, this also denotes it to be labeled "Comte Extra". This is the Comte you are tasting with this month's selection - we only deliver green label. Thanks to its uniqueness, its cultural importance and its economic contribution to the region, Comté cheese was one of the first cheeses to be awarded a label of origin guaranteeing its quality (AOC). As one of the premiere cheeses of France, we know you'll enjoy this fine taste of French living. Bon appetit!

Reblochon Cheese, A Savoy Tradition

Reblochon dates back to the middle ages and began its history in the Alps. The birth of this fascinating cheese is due to the ingenuity of the Savoy herdsmen. In the 13th century, the farmers were completely dependent on landowners who insisted that the entire herd's milk was their property. The landowners would keep track of all milk that was collected. This milk was used to calculate the annual rent, payable every month in the form of cheese. If you were like the typical peasant from that long ago period, you would figure that if you did not fully milk your cows, your tax base would be lower. So, you would wait until the tax collector had left to get the last drops of milk (so tax evasion is not a new thing).

The cheese made from this milk, richer in cream than that made from the earlier milk, was called rablassé (the origin of the word Reblochon), and was destined for the peasant's personal consumption. For centuries this cheese was not sold at the local markets, for obvious reasons, but around the 17th or 18th centuries, when taxes started to be paid in local currency rather than in goods, the cheese began to be sold to the public at large. The local merchant and noble classes, as well as the clergy, discovered the taste of these cheeses and started asking for them at their tables. Thus, the Reblochon became a cheese not only for the mountains, but also for the city.

Reblochon is still made high up in the Alps, although today the pasture is more likely to be shared with ski-lifts rather than the tax collector. Reblochon was the first cheese of the Savoy region to be granted the AOC certification, in 1958. Nowadays the cheese is made by mixing the milks of three different breeds of cow: abondance, tarine, and montbéliarde. This cow's milk cheese that has been pressed and matured for about a month. It is creamy, ever so slightly salty, and, quite simply, delicious. It marries well with many different types of wines, and is a great cheese not only to serve at the end of a meal as part of a cheese board, but also to melt into a crepe, or cut into little chunks and serve as an appetizer. With its unique taste it's the perfect complement to France's popular Comte cheese.

A Nomadic Tradition From the Castillian-Leonesa Plateau: Zamorano

To find the source of the third of this month’s featured cheeses, head southwest from the Alps, cross the Pyrenees and stop once you find yourself in the famed Spanish province of Zamora, in the Autonomous Community of Castilla y Leon. For over a century this region, located northwest of Madrid, has earned praise and enjoyed fame for its fantastic ewe milk cheeses. You’re probably already familiar with Manchego cheese, Spain’s best-known sheep’s milk cheese. However, you may not be as well acquainted with another variety, made much the same way, which has likewise been adored by locals and the international community for more than 100 years. Made from the milk of the Castilian and Churra breeds of sheep native to this province, this pressed cheese has a distinctive, slightly piquant flavor, which is full-bodied and long-lasting on the palate.

As with all cheese, the flavor of Zamorano comes from a unique combination of terrestrial elements, which ultimately influence both the milk of the animals from which it is made, as well as the behavior of the people who create it. The continental climate of this region of Spain provides an abundance of pastures upon which these specific sheep feed. In fact, there are some 60,000 animals registered at the Regulating Council, a body that governs various aspects of cheese production, including, as the name implies, strict regulation of the cheese-making process, which has been protected by the Denomination of Origin since 1993.

These sheep produce a hefty volume of milk annually; over 4 million gallons are used exclusively for cheese (which is, if you can believe it, only about ¼ of their total annual production), yielding over 330 tons of Zamorano cheese per year! And again, we can thank these two breeds of Spanish sheep for this delicacy, as it’s no small task to produce the amount of milk necessary to satisfy the world’s craving for this delight.

Once the milk is ready (free of colostrum that could adversely affect production), cheese processing can begin, and is carried out in compliance with the following steps, as mandated by the Regulating Council:

1. Curdling: caused by rennet (an enzyme-containing coagulant that produces the curd) at a temperature of 82 to 90oF. The curdling time is between 30 and 45 minutes.
2. Cutting and Heating: The resulting curd is cut several times and then stirred during a gentle warming-up process
3. Moulding and Pressing: Specific moulds give this cheese its characteristic cylindrical shape.
4. Salting: May be humid or dry, and at times both forms are used together.
5. Aging and Preservation/Curing: The minimum duration is no less than one hundred days, starting with the day of moulding. Some facilities still use the famed caves of the region that are distinctively cold and humid.

Despite the large amount of cheese produced per year, the meticulous attention paid to the processing stages and methods ensures consistent flavor and quality. But it wasn’t always produced in this highly regulated form. This cheese was originally made and developed by essentially nomadic families who would move from place to place throughout the Castillian countryside, taking their flocks of sheep with them to each new grazing land. Wherever they would settle for the time being, they would unpack their cheese-making utensils and spend months at a time making their goods. When they would finally return to their home province of Zamora, they would sell their cheese in local markets, but they usually left some to ripen for extended periods of time in underground cellars or caves. These particularly aged cheeses were later sold at a higher price, or consumed by the families that produced them.

The primary time for producing their famed cheese was during the spring and summer months, during which they would make batch after batch that they would then sell, or keep through the winter. They followed the same annual rhythm of producing and selling cheeses until assuming a more sedentary lifestyle in the later half of the century, when they started building small artisan cheese factories, where many families still work today, keeping with them the tradition of curing these unique cheeses in the caves of the Zamoran province.

Tasting Notes

Reblochon
Reblochon is produced in the French Alps and was the first cheese of the Savoy region to be granted the AOC certification in 1958. Nowadays the cheese is made by mixing the milks of three different breeds of cow : abondance, tarine, and montbéliarde. Reblochon is a cow's milk cheese that has been pressed and matured for about one month. It's creamy, ever so slightly salty, and, quite simply, delicious! It marries well with many different types of wines, and is a great cheese not only to serve at the end of a meal as part of a cheese board, but also to melt into a crepe, or cut into little chunks and serve as an appetizer. With its unique taste it's the perfect complement to France's popular Comte cheese.

Zamorano
Zamorano, a well-known and respected Spanish cheese, is usually produced in the shape of drum. The cheese is very similar to Castelanno and Manchego in texture, but is less grainy. Its natural rind is covered in gray mold. The flavor offers a hint of burnt caramel and the buttery taste of sheep's milk. Zamorano is used as a table cheese and it ripens in three to nine months.

Comte Extra
All Comte is graded using a 20 point grading system. A green label ensures the cheese has been graded 15 points or higher, this also denotes it to be labeled "Comte Extra". The Comte you taste with this month's selection is naturally Comte Extra. Thanks to its uniqueness, its cultural importance, and its economic contribution to the region, Comté cheese was one of the first cheeses to be awarded a label of origin guaranteeing its quality (AOC). As one of the premiere cheeses of France, we know you'll enjoy this exquisit taste of French living. Bon appetit!