Comté, A French Giant

There is a certain mystique to the cheeses of the high Alps. Something about the high mountain pastures makes for milk, and cheese, that is unmatched in quality. There are a few varieties of these cheeses, characterized by their firm density, their long aging periods, and also the colossal size that the individual wheels are made in. A wheel of Comté, for example, is three feet in diameter, 4 inches thick, and will typically weigh 75-80 pounds (34-36kg). Delicate cheeses these are not, but unlike its distant relatives from the plains of Île-de-France, Comté was not meant to be cradled delicately and nibbled on in a Parisian cafe. This sturdy fromage could be aged for 2 years in the high country, rolled like a wheel out of mountains, and would still be more than deserving of a place on any cheese plate. 

Origin: Franche-Comté, France

Milk: Cow, unpasteurized

Rennet: Animal

Affinage: One year

Notes: The full name of this cheese is Gruyère de Comté, due to a minor border-related dispute with the nearby Swiss. The Swiss make a cheese nearly identical called Gruyère, aged and made under marginally different circumstances, but this is no knockoff. The name Gruyère, while usually attributed to the town Gruyères in Switzerland, actually dates back to when the Roman empire encompassed the whole region and the forests were referred to as "gruyères". Wood from the forest was sold to cheesemakers, who used it to cook their curd, and was paid for with cheese. Knowledge is Power. Even relatively inconsequential cheese-related knowledge. 

Thoughts: This cheese smells and tastes like it was made with care and precision high in the Alps and then spent the rest of the trip to your plate just generally becoming even more delicious. Oddly enough that’s just what it did. The first thing one might notice is the characteristic crunch of casein clusters that form due to the long aging process and the protein-rich milk. This is a good thing. Every little snap crackle and even the occasional pop creates a symphony honoring the grandeur of this cheese. It is grassy, tangy, creamy in flavor despite being relatively dry on the whole, and when the golden paste breaks down on the palate a rush of sweet cheesy (a fellow sampler said it tastes rather of “cheese”) goodness transports you to a new plane of cheese enjoyment. There is so much going on in this cheese, and all of it so perfectly balanced and timed, that by the time you’ve realized how sweet it is there comes salty and his shy friend flowery dropping in for a minute before the standard nuttiness sweeps you away again. The aftertaste is a richly savory, but unless you’re all out you probably won’t be lingering long between bites.  

Caution
I am a big believer in cheese related tourism, and to be honest Switzerland is pretty high on my list even apart from the considerable gastronomic draw. This being said, Gruyères is not the birthplace of Gruyère. 







What, you want a joke in this Caution section? 
Fine. Donald Trump's political ambitions. 
haHA.