Cheese of the Week - Beaufort

Beaufort

Beaufort

This remarkable cheese was already known in the time of the Romans. It takes about 500 liters (130 gallons) of milk to make a Beaufort of 40 - 45 kg. The cheese is made from the milk given by the mahogany-colored Beaufort cows, called the Tarines or Tarentaises. This ancient mountain breed originally came from the Indo-Asian continent. Beaufort cheeses come in two versions, Beaufort d’été (summer Beaufort) and Beaufort chalet d’alpage which is made in the mountain chalets.


Country: France
Region, town     Savoie
Source of milk     Cows
Pasteurised     No
Texture     Hard
Aging time     12-15 months
Certification     French AOC 1968


Beaufort (cheese)

Beaufort is a hard, rather sharp cheese made from cow's milk and is similar to gruyère. It is produced in the area around Beaufort located high in the French Alps in the Savoie region of France. It is this high altitude that endows Beaufort with its unique flavor.

There are three varieties of Beaufort:

    Beaufort de Savoie (or summer Beaufort)
    Beaufort d’alpage (made in chalets in the Alps)
    Beaufort d'hiver (winter Beaufort)

Beaufort cheese is prepared using 11 liters of milk for every 1 kg of cheese desired. The milk used in one variety comes from the Tarentaise or Abondance cows that graze in the Alps. First, the milk is heated and then the cheese is cast into its molds, pressed, and slated. The mold into which the Beaufort cheese is pressed lends a visually distinctive characteristic to Beaufort cheese: its concave rind. The cheese is smear-ripened to produce a stronger flavour and its rind color. The prepared cheese must then age for 6–12 months, or even longer, in a cool mountain cellar. During this period, the cheese takes on its yellow color and acquires much of its flavor.

Beaufort cheese lacks holes yet is similar to Gruyère, Comté, Vacherin Fribourgeois or Emmental, although slightly sharper in taste. Beaufort also has a very distinct aroma reminiscent of the pastures on which the Tarentaise and Abondance cows graze, which provide the cheese's milk.

Beaufort is commonly used to make cheese fondue because it melts easily. One of the many cheeses that go well with white wine, Beaufort is often enjoyed with fish, especially salmon.