Mont d'Or has Arrived!
As the days get colder and the leaves start to brown, there's an exciting buzz at Paxton & Whitfield because it marks the beginning of Mont d'Or season! As a cheesemonger, the beginning of Autumn is best celebrated with breaking open the first, utterly irresistible Mont D’Or.
Why is Mont d'Or Seasonal?
Historically, most cheeses were seasonal, however today only a few remain, as dairying and cheese production are now year-round practices. The production and consumption of Mont D’or have remained seasonal due to it’s AOP/AOC (Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée) by the French Government, which governs the regulations for producing this incredible cheese.
Officially, Mont D'or cannot be made before 15th August each year. The cheese must then be matured for at least three weeks and can be sold from 15th September onwards.
When Mont D’or is young (generally until mid-October), it is wonderfully silky, with milky and delicate notes. The texture is firmer and doesn't tend to have the ooze that the cheese is famous for. We recommend that it's baked in the oven to create that satisfying spoonable consistency. Mont D’Or makes the most amazing baked cheese, served with potatoes and cornichons. Follow our recipe to taste this mouth-watering oozy, baked cheese.
As the Mont d'Or matures further into the season, the texture becomes runnier (like an instant fondue!) and the flavours become more pronounced and pungent.
This wonderful seasonal cheese takes you on a journey and this seasonality and batch variations are what we love so much about handmade, artisan cheese. We hope that we can encourage you to try different cheeses at different age profiles so you can taste for yourself, so as the start of Mont D’or season commences, why not give it a try?
