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Comte Reserve des Granges
While Switzerland is
the country most people associate with Gruyere's origin, primarily because of
the Swiss town Gruyeres, there's more to this delicious cheese's history.
About a thousand years ago, the Holy Roman Empire extended its wily grip around
all of what we now know as France, Switzerland, and some of Germany, and the
forests of this area were called "gruye res." Charlemagne's men sold wood to the
cheesemakers of the area to power their curd cooking kettles, and the
cheesemakers paid for the wood with their cheeses. These are the cheeses that we
now know, eat, and love as Comte and Gruyere.
The most popular cheese
in France, Comte
is traditionally produced in the cool mountain reaches
of Jura, where local farmers bring their Alpine milk to local cooperatives. It
takes 140 gallons of milk to make one Comte cheese weighing close to 100 pounds.
When the cheese is cut, it reveals a firm and supple paste that melts in the
mouth, leaving behind a sweet, almost toffee-like taste. The salt is strong but
balanced, and the flavor has a nutty tang.
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