Since the Middle Ages this cheese has captured the hearts of all those who have experienced its outstanding taste.

In the 19th century is was considered the finest cheese in Europe. The geographical separation between the places of production and "affinage" is a Brie tradition.

In 1980 this cheese was accepted into the AOC family.

Brie de Meaux

Fromagerie Renard-Gillard

Cancoillotte or Cancoyotte is made from cow's milk in Franche-Comté. It is also produced in Lorraine and Luxembourg and known as Kachkéis i.e. cook-cheese. The name is related with word "coille" taken from franc-comtois verb cailler, means milk without cream, resulting in a lower fat cheese. Cancoillotte is usually melted over a small flame with water or milk before addition of salt or butter. This cheese is sold in containers and there are various flavours: plain, with butter, garlic or wine. Cancoillotte can be eaten hot or cold, and it is a delicious spread on bread, vegetables or meat.

Cancoillotte (Cancoyotte)

Poitrey

Comté is a French cheese produced in the Jura Massif region of Eastern France. The unpasteurised cow's milk used is mainly from Montbeliarde Cattle or French simmental (or cross breeds of the two). This hard mountain cheese is matured to perfection in the silence and darkness of special caves where the cheese gets its unique taste, texture and colour. There are several maturing cellars in the region where Comté is ripened for a minimum of 4 months to 18 or 24 months. A few times, Comté gets its name from the cellar where it has ripened such as Comté Fort Saint-Antoine.

Comté was one of the first few cheeses to receive an AOC (Appellation d'origine controlee) status in 1958. It is one of the most popular AOC cheeses in France with around 40,000 tones of annual production.

Considered one of the finest cheeses in the world, a wedge of Comte reveals a pale yellow interior and a texture that can vary from silky, flabby to crystalline.
There are practically 83 flavours, which can be savored while tasting Comté. But the main aromatic flavours that delicately linger on the palate are a balance of brown-butter and roasted-nut aromas and a sweet finish.

Its ability to melt easily means Comté goes well with many recipes right from fondues to Croque Monsieur. The cheese pairs well with Rhone reds, a Palo Cortado or off-dry Amontillado sherry from Spain.

Fromageries Arnaud, the winner of Super Gold medal at the 2014 World Cheese Awards, is one of the top-notch groups in the world to make French certified-origin cheeses. Today, the Fromagerie counts for roughly 12% of the total Comté production. The cheese is distributed worldwide by British supplier Anthony Rowcliffe & Son. This celebrated cheese has been judged as one of the world's 62 best cheeses.In addition, Comte produced by Entremont also won a silver medal for its great taste and impeccable texture. Entremont makes Comte in three varieties – 1 year matured Prestige, fruity flavoured Fruité and Vieille Reserve made using traditional methods in 50 small village cheese dairies.

Comté

La filière Comté

Marie Harel created the original Camembert cheese from raw milk in Normandy, France in 1791. Today, however, a very small percentage of producers make cheese from raw milk with the same process as Marie Harel would have used. Those who produce cheese using Marie Harel's method, can legally call their cheese "Camembert de Normandie" under the AOC guidelines. However, the production of Camembert cheese has now transcended the AOC designation. Very good varieties of Camembert cheese made from pasteurised milk can be found in Normandy today.

Fresh Camembert cheese is bland, hard and crumbly in texture. Young Camembert has a milky and sweet taste. As the cheese matures it forms a smooth, runny interior and a white bloomy rind that is typical of Camembert cheese. It has a rich, buttery flavour. The rind is bloomy white caused by a white fungus, called Penicillium candidum.The rind is meant to be eaten with the cheese.

This cheese is best paired with a light red wine such as Beaujolais, Chenin Blanc, St Emilion, St Estephe, or traditionally a glass of Normandy cider.

Colleen Hargreaves

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