2024 Author: Jasmine Walkman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 08:29
Comte / Comté / is a French cheese made from unpasteurized cow's milk. It is also known as Gruyère de Comté. Along with Camembert, Beaufort and Munster, it is on the list of the most popular cheeses in France.
Comte is also one of the AOCs with the status of AOC / Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée /, which guarantees the region of their origin. The technology by which the cheese is produced is also strictly controlled. In this case we are talking about cheese, which is prepared only in a few areas in France. Comte is produced in the Rhone and Lorraine Valley, the Jura region. It is also permissible in Burgundy.
History of Comte
Comte is a dairy product with a long history. It turns out that as early as the twelfth century, cheese was already known to the French. During the summer, shepherds spent most of their time in remote huts located in the Jura region. Due to the great distance they traveled from their huts to the settlements, the cheese had to ripen for a long time.
The shepherds, who were nearby, gathered their milk together and prepared large cheeses, which they offered on the market at the end of the season. Little by little, the cheese became popular and quickly became an indispensable guest on the French table. Thus, in 1958, Comte acquired AOC status.
Comte production
The production of Comte it is not an easy task at all. At least because just one kilogram of the popular French cheese requires nearly twelve kilograms of cow's milk. It is also a curious clarification that about 600 liters of milk are used in one production cycle. The other detail is that this type of cheese is produced only from the milk of cows of a special breed, namely Monbeliarde. It is said that the technology for making cheese has been zealously kept the same for centuries.
So, in order to make the dairy product, milk from two consecutive milkings is used. That is, milk obtained in the evening and milk obtained the next morning is used. The preparation itself begins after the morning milking.
The cow's milk is placed in a large copper vessel so that it can then be warmed. It is usually heated to 31-33 degrees. Once this process is in place, it is time for the next step - adding yeast. Thanks to it, the cheese consistency thickens in about half an hour.
When this process takes place, the resulting mass is crushed into very tiny pieces. The pieces obtained in this way are subjected to heating, and the temperature should very smoothly reach 54 degrees. Meanwhile, the milk substance is stirred regularly. This process takes about 30-40 minutes. The next step requires pouring the resulting mass into a special form. It is stored there for 24 hours. During this time, the cheese is turned over several times.
When this step is finalized, it is time for the cheese to ripen. For the purpose Comte is placed in underground warehouses where temperatures are relatively low. Interestingly, during ripening, something like secondary fermentation takes place, thanks to which the cheese acquires a specific aroma. Otherwise, the full maturation of Comte takes between four months and a year. Of course, it is possible that some individual species may be left to mature a little longer.
Comte features
Komte is available on the market in the form of round cakes with a diameter of 40 to 70 centimeters. They are between 9 and 15 centimeters high and weigh between 30 and 60 centimeters. Distinctive feature of cheese Comte is the new bark, dyed yellow, ocher or gray. It has a relatively smooth surface. Under the bark you will find a not very soft interior, which is colored yellowish.
It is thick and with a pleasant fat content, which is at least 45 percent. The dairy product is characterized by a pleasantly salty taste. However, it also has a sweet aftertaste. However, this only complements and balances the taste of Comte. We should also note that you can feel very delicate shades of nuts.
Cooking with Comte
The refined but very delicate taste of Comte, makes cheese a real culinary sensation. It can be served alone, cut into thin slices, or put in a bunch of interesting and appetizing dishes. Comte's light tones make it a suitable addition to thick and rich white wines such as Pinot Blanc. In general, white wines are suitable dry, semi-dry, semi-sweet and dessert. At the same time, it is a great partner for red wines, including cheese, Pinot Noir and Mavrud.
Positive feature of Comte is that due to its firm consistency, the cheese can be used in the preparation of dishes requiring heat treatment. For example, it can be used in the preparation of pizzas, sandwiches, casserole, spaghetti, pasta.
It goes very well with dishes with potatoes or mushrooms. It is successfully combined with greens such as cucumbers, tomatoes, Brussels sprouts, spinach, nettles, broccoli and others. It can also be used in recipes for meat dishes, as it perfectly harmonizes the taste of specialties with chicken, duck and turkey. It also complements heavier meats such as pork, beef, beef and lamb.
