Comte: History, Taste, Tasting Advise and Production

The history of Comte:

Comte is an ancient cheese. It has been produced since the time of Charlemagne. Comte is still traditionally made in more than 190 cheese dairies, known as the ''fruitierest" in the Jura plateau.Themanufacture of the cheese began as early as the 12th century, when shepherds would spend the summer months in their remote huts of the Jura massif. The distance from towns of any size meant that any cheese they made would need to mature over a period of months. The milk was pooled between neighbouring shepherds, and the huge cheeses would be stored until being carried to market at the end of the season.Once summer had ended, so would production of Comte.

The tasting of Comte:

Comte has an ivory-colored paste scattered of holes the size of a hazelnut.The taste of this cheese is variable depending on the age anywhere from 4 - 18 months, and the season of the milk. It's typically described as salty, mild, and fruity. Some cheese have strong hazelnut flavors, others have subtle hints of nutmeg.

Tasting advice of Comte:

This cheese works well in a fondue, as part of a cheese platter or in a hot, melted sandwich. It's also suitable for snacking or tossed as cubes in a salad.Dry white wines such as Sancerre, light red wine such as Beaujolais, are all suitable for this kind of cheese.

The production of Comte:

Fresh from the farm, milk is poured into huge copper vats where it is gently warmed. Rennet, or another natural pressing agent is added causing the milk to coagulate. The curds are then cut into tiny white grains that are then stirred before being heated again for around 30 minutes. The contents are then placed into moulds and the whey is pressed out. After several hours the mould is opened and left to mature in cellars, first for a few weeks at the dairy, and then over several months elsewhere.

Conclusion:

The history, taste, tasting advise and the production of Comte are all presented here. Throughout these information, we can get closer to the world of cheese which is full of hundreds and thousands different kind of cheese and different backgrounds.

By Janer

Work cites:

Comte(Cheese) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia/24 Dec, 2008 / Wikipedia

16 Jan, 2009 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comté_(cheese)>

Cheece- Frence/16 Jan, 2009 <http://www.cheese-france.com/cheese/comte.htm>