Have you ever tried to taste Corsican brocciu in the middle of summer? Impossible because you can’t find this cheese in summer. And for good reason: brocciu season begins in November, and lasts 6 to 7 months maximum. And it’s not the only cheese to have a season…
What is a seasonal cheese?
When we talk regarding cheese and seasonality, the 1is role. Indeed, the taste of the cheese depends on the milk used, which itself depends on the animals’ feed. Whether the animal eats green grass or hay, the milk – and therefore the cheese – will not have the same flavor… The other parameter to take into account? There ripening timevariable, which means that this or that cheese reaches the end of its ripening in this or that season.
What are the spring cheeses?
Spring rhymes with the return of green and fresh grass… and the return of animals to flowery pastures! Their milk is then excellent, full of aroma and flavors… This is the ideal season to taste cheeses with a shorter ripening period.
Mars : beaufort, brocciu, county, crottin de Chavignol, fresh goat cheese, gruyère, langres, livarot, Mont d’Or, Morbier, Neufchâtel, Ossau-Iraty, Rocamadour, Roquefort, Salers, Vacherin
Avril : Beaufort, Brie de Meaux, Brie de Melun, Brillat-Savarin, Broccio, Cabécou, Camembert, Cancoillotte, Chabichou, Chaource, Comté, Coulommiers, Époisses, Feta, Gorgonzola, Gruyère, Livarot, Maroilles, Mascarpone, Mimolette, Mont d’Or , Morbier, Munster, Neufchâtel, Parmesan, Pélardon, Rocamadour, Roquefort, Saint-Félicien, Sainte-Maure, Saint-Marcellin, Salers, Selles sur Cher, Valençay.
May : banon, beaufort, blue cheese, brie, fresh goat cheese, cabécou, camembert, chabichou du Poitou, chaource, county, coulommiers, crottin de Chavignol, Époisses, Gruyère, Livarot, Laguiole, Maroilles, Mont d’Or, Munster, Neufchâtel, Pélardon, Pérail, Pont-l’évêque, Roquefort, Salers, Saint-Félicien, Saint-Marcellin, Sainte-Maure, Saint-Nectaire, Tomme young, Tomme de Savoie
What are the summer cheeses?
No green pastures, summer is not the ideal season for ‘fresh’ cheeses. It is better to fall back on cheeses reaching full maturity at this season, namely uncooked pressed cheeses.
June : Banon, Beaufort, Brie, Cabécou, Camembert, Young Cantal, Chabichou du Poitou, chaource, county, coulommiers, crottin de Chavignol, époisses, gruyère, laguiole, livarot, maroilles, munster, neufchâtel, ossau iraty young, pélardon, pont-l’évêque, rocamadour, Roquefort, Saint-Nectaire, Sainte-Maure, Saint-Félicien, Saint-Marcellin, Tomme de Savoie,
July : Abundance, Beaufort, Camembert, Young Cantal, Chaource, Comté, Crottin de Chavignol, Epoisses, gruyère, laguiole, neufchâtel, ossau iraty young, pélardon, reblochon, rocamadour, roquefort, saint-felicien, Sainte-Maure, Saint-Marcellin, Saint-Nectaire
August : abundance, beaufort, brie, brillat-savarin, camembert, young cantal, chaource, county, crottin de chavignol, époisses, gruyère, laguiole, neufchâtel, ossau iraty, pélardon, reblochon, rocamadour, roquefort, saint-nectaire, saint-marcellin, Sainte-Maure, Saint-Félicien, Savoy tomme, cow, goat or sheep tomme…
What are autumn cheeses?
September : abundance, blue cheese from Bresse, blue cheese from the Causses, dumplings from Avesnes, brie from Meaux, brie from Melun, brillat-savarin, cancoillotte, cantal, chaource, comté, emmental, époisses, feta, fourme d’Ambert, gorgonzola, gruyère, livarot , mascarpone, mimolette, morbier, mozzarella, munster, parmesan, pont-l’évêque, pouligny st pierre, reblochon, ricotta, rocamadour, roquefort, salers, Saint-Félicien, saint-nectaire, vacherin.
October : abundance, brillat-savarin, brocciu, cancoillotte, cantal, chaource, comté, emmental, époisses, feta, forme d’Ambert, gruyere, mascarpone, morbier, mozzarella, munster, parmesan, Poligny-saint-pierre, roquefort, salers, saint -nectaire, vacherin.
November : Abundance, Beaufort, Blues (from Causses, Auvergne, Vercors, Gex), Brie, Cantal, Cancoillotte, Chaource, Comté, Époisses, Feta, Fourme d’Ambert, Gruyère, Laguiole, Livarot, Mont d’Or, ossau-iraty, raclette, roquefort, salers, young tomme cheese (from cow, goat or sheep), vacherin
What are winter cheeses?
In winter, because of the cold and freezing of the soil, the animals feed on hay. Result ? Their milk is less rich and less tasty. To treat yourself with cheese, it is best to favor cheeses produced in another season but which require a long maturing period… arriving at the end of the heart of winter!
December : beaufort, brie, county, gruyère, laguiole, mont d’or, ossau-iraty (6/8 months), raclette, salers, tomme (from cow, goat or sheep)
January : brie, beaufort, county, beaufort, gruyere, mont d’or, morbier, ossau-iraty, raclette, salers, tomme (cow, goat or sheep’s cheese), mont d’or
FEBRUARY : Beaufort, Brocciu, Brie de Meaux, Brie de Melun, Comté, Gruyère, Mont d’Or, Morbier, Ossau-Iraty, Raclette, Salers, Tomme (cow, goat or sheep cheese)
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