Why can't we find Mont d'Or all year round?
Recognizable by its spruce wooden box, Vacherin (cowherd cheese) can be eaten both hot and cold. And yes, contrary to what one might think, Mont d'Or can be eaten at room temperature. You just have to take it out of a refrigerator, a good half hour before.
A rare cheese that is not available all year round, it is marketed between September 10 and May 10 only.
Where is Mont d'Or made?
Like Italian mozzarella, Mont d'Or is a cheese with protected designation of origin (AOP) since 1996. But its recipe has been recognized since 1981, since it had the controlled designation of origin (AOC) before that.
Originally from Haut-Doubs, in the heart of the Jura, its production remains very limited since only the milk of two breeds of cows is used to make it: the Montbéliarde and the Simmental. Both have a special feature. They must have one hectare of grass each, at a minimum altitude of 700m and are milked twice a day at regular times.
This is probably what explains the rich taste of cheese.
But if the milk is carefully selected, the number of producers is also elitist. In France, only 400 dairy producers can be referenced to make Mont d'Or. Despite this, more than 6,000 tonnes of cheese are sold each year, or 9 million boxes.
Creamy and tasty, Mont d'Or is appreciated for its notes of autumn fruits and mushrooms. If it goes wonderfully with potatoes, there are a multitude of irresistibly gourmet recipes for cooking this Franche-Comtois cheese.
What a great way to spend a winter season!
