Incredible raw mountain cheese from eastern France
One of my all-time favorite Zingerman’s foods, I always think of this artisan Extra Aged Comté when the holiday season rolls around! It’s so good and so special that, for me at least, it’s hard to think of anything that I would rather have out on a cheese board this time of year! The Extra Aged Comté is one we only get at this time of year. And while I love our “regular” Comté (which is amazing), it’s the extra-aged one that gets me going most!
Comté is one of France’s oldest cheeses and one of the last strong bastions of traditional cheese-making. A great Comté will be buttery, really big in flavor, and softly nutty all at the same time. All our Comté comes to us from Marcel Petite, the firm that’s been maturing cheese in Fort St. Antoine—in the Jura Mountains of eastern France, partway between the towns of Métabief and Saint-Point Lake—for over 50 years. After a visit to the region a few years back, longtime Mail Order cheese specialist and warehouse manager, Lisa Roberts, shared,
I traveled to Marcel Petites Fort St. Antoine in Jougne, France, where they age Comté cheese. This was a dream come true for me. Everyone acknowledges that the French make great cheese and Comté is king in France. Comté from Fort St. Antoine is the crown of the king and a trip there is like a cheesemonger’s hajj. The Fort is special because it’s an ideal environment for very slow maturing of the wheels. It was built into the side of a hill in the 1800s and abandoned after it failed at its job stopping Germans in World War II. Inside it, the cheese can develop and express its individual flavors. I think it’s just about perfect. It’s a wonderful balance of flavors that includes hazelnut, brothy French onion soup, and butter. It has the most delicate hint of sweetness and a super long finish.
Our “regular” Comté, aged inside the stone walls of the Fort for about 18 months, has a fantastic flavor that melts in the mouth. It has a light nuttiness, with just the tiniest whisper of caramelization. I could eat this cheese all day! Give me a good salad, a thick slice of Country Miche bread from the Bakehouse spread with a bit of Vermont Creamery Cultured Butter, and slices of this Comté laid on top. I’ve been making a spread of grated Comté, a bit of mayo, a good amount of freshly ground Tellicherry pepper, and some good mustard as well. Great on toast or on egg noodles! You can get the “regular” Comté at the Deli and at Mail Order.
Right now, there’s a limited amount of an even more compelling option. At the Deli, we have our annual arrival of extra-aged Comté! If you’re even a little bit into mature mountain cheese, this is one you don’t want to miss. We’ve got a couple wheels that were aged for 18 months. The flavor is everything I love in a great Comté—intense and complex but never over the top. This is the cheese that’s on our counter at home right now! It’s so good it leaves me literally shaking my head in awe every time I taste a small sliver!
