Comté (), also known as Gruyère de Comté, is a hard cheese made from unpasteurised cow's milk in eastern France. The production of Comté is the largest of the Protected designation of origin (PDO) cheeses made in France.
History
Comté is based on artisanal techniques developed in the Jura Mountains 1,000 years ago. The milk was collected from farms and made into cheese at co-operative dairies known as , of which there were eventually about 150 throughout the area. A traditional method of cheese-making involved the use of a large linen cloth. The cheesemakers used the cloth to collect the grains of curd – suspended in whey – from the vat; this method has largely disappeared.
France introduced the (AOC) rules for cheese in the 1920s. Comté was awarded AOC status in 1958 It is eaten by 40 per cent of the French population.
thumb|Wheels of comté cheese in storage, [[Burgundy, France]]
- Only milk from Montbéliarde or French Simmental cows (or cross breeds of the two) is permitted.
- There must be no more than 1.3 cows per hectare of pasture.
- Fertilisation of pasture is limited, and cows may only be fed fresh, natural feed, with no silage.
- The milk must be transported to the site of production immediately after milking.
- Renneting must be carried out within a stipulated time after milking, according to the storage temperature of the milk.
- The milk must be used raw. Only one heating of the milk may occur, and that must be during renneting. The milk may be heated up to .
- Salt may only be applied directly to the surface of the cheese.
- A casein label containing the date of production must be attached to the side of the cheese, and maturing must continue for at least four months.
- No grated cheese could be sold under the Comté name between 1979 and 2007.
In 2005, the French Government registered 175 producers and 188 (agers) in France. The growing number of cows raised to produce milk for this cheese has led to pollution entering waterways in the Ain, Doubs, and Jura departments, spurring debates on how to balance economics and culture with the environment.
Grading
Each cheese is awarded a score out of 20 by inspectors: the highest possible scores are 1 point for overall appearance, 1.5 for quality of rind, 3.5 for internal appearance, 5 for texture, and 9 for taste. Those cheeses scoring higher than 14 points are given a green casein label with the logo of a green bell, and are called Comté Extra. Those cheeses scoring from 12 to 14 points are given a brown label and are called simply Comté. Any cheese scoring only 1 or 2 points for taste (out of the possible 9), or scoring below 12 overall, is prohibited from using the Comté name and is sold for other purposes. According to Pierre Androuët in his (1983), "There is a world of difference between lowland Comté and mountain Comté. The original Comté and the lowland Comté may not differ much in appearance but there are variations in quality".
References
Sources
See also
- List of cheeses