Comte AOP Tres Grande Garde 28-36 Months (~1kg) (Cow) - Les Freres Marchand

Area: Franche-Comté, France
Milk: raw cow’s milk
Type: cooked pressed paste
Weight: 35 kg
Fat : 34 %

Artisanal maturing: 28-36 months

Tasting advice
Comté is one of the rarest cheeses which can be appreciated at all the stages of a meal, from aperitif to cheese platter. It is particularly suitable for many culinary preparations. Its ability to melt and glaze permits to use it very simply on all gratin meals.
Wine-pairing
Comté is usually served with a slight red wine but also with a dry white wine or champagne.

Appearance: yellow with crystallization
Texture: flexible
Sense of smell: not strong but rich
Taste: fruity, cacao taste

History
During the Middle Ages, milk had been transformed into a cheese called Vachelin, likely to meet with the needs of an entire family during a long cold season.
The product longevity, and its « improvement » along the time, made it an exportable product out of regional lines and so likely to procure new resources.
Those large wheels require a lot of milk; farmers helped each other for production.

Fabrication
Marcel makes exclusively his Comté with raw cow’s milk. The milk from the two-consecutive milking is poured into copper vats.
Milk is then transformed and curdled. This curdle is then heat up at 53-55°C during 45 minutes. Then, it is extracted, pressed and salted.
Maturing of Comté is about 840 days of which the cheese is turned and rubbed regularly.