Past Newsletters

Vol. 7 No. 2

European Cheeses: Par Excellence

S.A.F.R. Port Salut: The Trappist Cheese

SAFR Port Salut is smooth, delectable cheese made in the province of Brittany on the west coast of France. A region very similar to Maine, the countryside of Brittany is bordered by the ocean, boats and fish, and is steeped in coastal weather extremes. It has been said that Brittany is more influenced by England than its own motherland. It also happens to be great dairy territory - it's responsible for 20% of France's entire cattle raising, produces 20% of its milk and 33% of its butter.

Port Salut has an honorable past and fascinating history. Originally named Port du Salut after the abbey of Notre Dame du Port du Salut in Entrammes, it was produced in the mid 1800's by Trappist monks, strictly for consumption at the monastery. In 1873, the Abbot visited Paris and negotiated a distribution agreement with a Parisian cheese monger. A year later sales of this disc shaped cheese were phenomenal - enough to incline the monks to register Port Salut as a trade name to guard against imitations. It has also been said the origin of Port Salut is closely linked to the French Revolution of 1789. Escaping from the persecutions of the "Terror," a congregation of Trappist Monks set themselves up abroad and learned how to make cheese for their very survival. Upon returning to France in 1815 they built a new abbey and continued to expand their cheese production. The name later became the registered trademark of the Société Anonyme des Fermiers Réunis for Saint-Paulin which is what the SAFR stands for.

Produced in thick disks of about 9 inches in diameter and weighing about 5 pounds, Port Salut keeps well for several weeks, or longer, if securely wrapped. The rind of the cheese is slightly moist and colored, with regular traces of the cloth used in production. Affinage (refining) takes one month as the cheese is polished with brine, which also contributes to its rich flavor. The result is an exquisite cheese with an orange rind and pale-yellow interior. A cheese that pairs beautifully with Chinon and Bourgueil wines, it's also a perfect partner for fruit and makes any cheese board more tempting.

The right wine with a superior cheese can be an excellent combination! Monthly Clubs offers fine domestic and international wines. Check out the Wine of the Month Club at www.winemonthclub.com.

Tasting Notes: Port Salut is a semi-soft natural cheese that is most recognized by its orange rind. It is rather mild with a savory, sweet flavor, unlike many other French cheeses. It is a cheese that has universal appeal with its smooth, velvety texture and light acidic taste. The pâte is elastic, cream-colored, soft, and supple with a very faint aroma. Bon appetit!

St. Andrè Mini: The Triple Crème de la Crème

A country cheese maker started the St. Andrè Creamery in Villefranche de Rouergue, France, (the famed region that gives us Roquefort cheese) back in 1928. More than 40 years later, a soft-ripened, triple-cream cheese named St. Andrè made its debut.

With a taste described as a blend of the perfect brie mixed with equal parts of thick, sour cream and whipped sweet cream – its "triple-creme" status , St. Andrè is a cheese for the uncompromising connoisseur. A soft-ripened cheese with bloomy rind, it has a downy white, edible rind with a smooth paste. Being made from cow's milk and enriched with pure cream, gourmands consider it a treasure. St. André is also fairly rare.

St. Andrè contains no less that 75% butterfat per 100 grams of cheese! This sinful delicacy is beautifully paired with a light, fruity rosé or ale - and no cheeseboard should be served without it. To appreciate its nuance of flavors, we suggest indulging in this cheese at room temperature without the "distraction" of strongly flavored bread or crackers. Wait until the aftertaste of the cheese has "set" before taking a sip of wine or other accompaniments.

Tasting Notes: The intensity of flavors in St. Andrè varies from being pleasantly creamy to a rich, buttery taste due to the addition of sweet cream. Many connoisseurs describe it as being as lush, creamy, and rich as cream cheese.

English Cheddar from Denhey Farms

Cheddar is one of the few cheeses where the mere mention of the name gets you salivating... the flavor just gets better with each mouthful, tantalizing your taste buds every time.

So cheddar is cheddar, right? Definitely not! Cheddar is made in just about every English speaking country, and just as different countries have different accents, so do they make different cheddar.

Your English Cheddar comes from Denhey Farms which is authentic farmhouse cheddar. Denhey Farms was incorporated in 1952 on 250 acres of land. Today, Denhey has 1,650 acres with 1,000 cows in 5 herds. According to their published information, the Farm is based in the mild climate of the Marshwood Vale, 3 miles from the sea immediately inland from Lyme Bay, ranges from 200 ft. to 750 ft. above sea level and has an average rainfall of 36 inches a year … ideal grass and maize growing conditions. Denhey uses only their milk to make their cheeses. They are passionate about the quality of their products, which has been recognized with all the UK's top food awards.

Tasting Notes: The aroma of authentic farmhouse cheddar should be nutty or grassy, with a rich texture and complex flavors ranging from fruity to a woody oakiness. The color of the cheese should range from straw yellow to beige, and the texture should be open with a few cracks... rather than rubbery and dense, which indicates factory processing.

What’s in a Name?

There are two theories on how Cheddar got its name. The first is that it is named after the English town Cheddar in south-western England, where cheddar was first made. The other theory is that the name derives from one of the steps in the cheese-making process. After the cow’s milk curd is scalded twice, it is "cheddared" by repeatedly being cut up to remove whey and to break the curd until it is smooth and silky.
We love English Cheddar for its, buttery, nutty, richness, without the slightest hint of bitterness or bite. This richness and creaminess can in part be attributed to the Brown Swiss cow’s milk that English Cheddar is made from. This breed is renowned for having a very good fat-to-protein ratio which results in a fantastically, full flavored cheddar.

The flavor of Cheddar is often described as "sharp," which is a direct relation to the acidity level ... the higher it is, the sharper the cheese tastes. It is very easy to put this "sharpness" into cheese, and it actually kills other flavors. So what most farmhouse cheddar makers strive for is a breadth of flavors that develop with time. You’ll know great cheddar if you can still taste the sweet nuttiness several minutes after you have finished your first mouthful.

Cheddar can be paired wonderfully with a dark beer or ale. Monthly Clubs offers excellent domestic and international beer through the Beer of the Month Club. Check it out at www.beermonthclub.com.

Culture Corner
Cheese	Pronunciation	Recommended Wine/Beer
Port Salut	POOR sah-LEW	Chinon or Bourgueil are good choices.
St. Andrè Mini	sant än' dra	Try a light, fruity rosè or ale.
Cheddar	CHEH-der	Light, fruity wines are excellent with cheddar. Dark beers and ales are also wonderful.