Comté
Name of Group of Producers
Avenue de la Résistance
39800 Poligny
Champs Elysées, 138
75008 Paris
Hard cow's milk cheese with pressed, cooked paste and scrubbed rind in the form of a wheel with a straight or convex heel, 50 to 70 centimetres in diameter and 8 to 13 centimetres deep, containing at least 45% fat.
Geographical area : The Jura massif, consisting of the communes in the départements of Doubs, Jura, Haute-Saône and of certain communes in the départements of Ain, Territoire de Belfort, Côte d'Or, Haute-Marne, Saône et Loire and Vosges.
The production of so-called large-size cheeses goes back to time immemorial in this region, which was the province of Franche-
Comté. Authors have referred to this cheese in ancient times (Pliny), in the 15th century and again in the 19th century (Victor Hugo). Its fame is attested by the bulletin of price quotations for the central food market (Les Halles) in Paris, since the price quoted for Comté was different to that of the other cheeses of the same type.
Made entirely of whole cow's milk used in raw condition with rennet added; the curds are heated to a temperature of 530C and kept at that heat for at least 30 minutes. The cheese is pressed, dry-salted or laid in brine. The ripening takes a minimum of 120 days, during which time the cheese is turned over and scrubbed regularly.
