Comté: one of the most common cheeses in France

Comté is as ubiquitous in France as Cheddar is in the United Kingdom, or Monterey Jack is in the United States.  In the supermarket it comes in block form and already grated; aged or young. Of course, as with all hard cheeses, there is a big difference in taste depending on how long it has been aged for.  The younger cheese is aged for 4 -6 months, and that one REALLY has no taste (as far as I’m concerned).  I prefer the tastier versions that can be aged from 12 months, up to 36 months. It melts very well, so can be used in many dishes where you need, well….melted cheese. Any recipe you use cheddar cheese for can be livened up by adding grated or diced comté instead.

Where is Comté made?

Comté is the most widely produced cheese in France.  It is made from unpasteurized cow’s milk in the mountains in the Jura region in the Eastern part of France, near Switzerland.  Unfortunately I don’t have a photo of the area.  I have been there, but it was bucketing down with rain for the whole time I was there.  The photo with this post is taken just across Lake Geneva from the Jura region, where the scenery is similar (but they don’t have the right to make Comté).

If you would like to find out about another, very different, cheese from the same area, go have a peek at my post on Mont d’Or, a creamy, gooey cheese that with make you want more!

By Lisa Watson