Introduction to Traditional French Cheeses

The production of traditional cheeses in France’s mountainous regions, such as Fon Conte and Savoir, is heavily influenced by the seasons. The unique cheeses born out of this process, like Mont door and bowour, are a result of the need to preserve rich milk during the seasonal flush. Beaufort cheese is a notable example, made in large, flat, crusty wheels with concave sides, designed to be carried down mountains.

Cheese Production in the Alpage

Produced in the Alpage, Beaufort cheese is made from the rich milk of cows grazing on diverse pastures, combined with ancient cheese-making skills. The cheese is still produced high in the mountains from June to October by small teams working 24/7, with each wheel requiring 500L of milk and weighing up to 50 kilos. Cheese curds are heated, cut into small pieces, and heated further to expel excess weight, before being placed into traditional wooden hoops to drain and then pressed.

Types of Traditional Cheeses

• Bow cheese is made year-round in the region’s valleys, with the best examples produced above 1,500m in summer, and must be matured for at least 4 months.
• Abondance cheese is made from the milk of a unique breed of cow with chestnut coats and patchwork eyes, and is still produced high in the mountains during the summer, following traditional methods.
• Rebel cheese originates from the Middle Ages, with its name derived from old French meaning “milking a second time”, and is made from the remaining milk of a second milking.
• Montor cheese is a unique seasonal cheese produced in the Jura Mountains area between Switzerland and France, and is known as Vacherin or Vashan Mondor in Switzerland.

Cheese-Making Techniques and Traditions

Cheese production involves traditional methods, such as cooking in a copper pot and maturing in a dungeon-like basement for at least 3 months. The use of tree skin to wrap cheese is also a unique technique used by some dairy companies. The 500-year-old traditional method of making cheese involves coagulating milk from mobile cows, cutting and heating it in copper vats, and then wrapping it in bark.

Cheese and Terroir

The region’s pine forests play a crucial role in cheese production, as the trees’ bark is used to wrap each cheese, giving it a distinct smell and taste of pine. The terroir of the Jura area is also reflected in the cheese, with the use of Aia tree rings to wrap the cheese, giving it a unique link to its origin.

Authenticity and Tradition in Cheese Production

People are becoming more conscious of authenticity and tradition in cheese production, seeking quality over quantity. This trend is expected to continue in the future, with a growing interest in traditional handmade cheeses and their unique characteristics. Cheese shops like Laaframie in London showcase a wide range of carefully ripened cheeses from around the world, highlighting the importance of traditional cheese-making techniques and the value of authentic, high-quality cheeses.

Key Vocabulary

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Vocabulary Quiz

1. Which French cheese is made in large, flat, crusty wheels with concave sides, designed to be carried down mountains?

A) Abondance cheese
B) Montor cheese
C) Beaufort cheese
D) Bow cheese

2. What is the term for the pieces of cheese that are heated, cut into small pieces, and heated further to expel excess weight during the cheese-making process?

A) Cheese wheels
B) Cheese curds
C) Cheese hoops
D) Cheese vats

3. Which type of cheese is made from the remaining milk of a second milking, with its name derived from old French meaning “milking a second time”?

A) Abondance cheese
B) Beaufort cheese
C) Rebel cheese
D) Montor cheese

4. What unique material is used by some dairy companies to wrap cheese, giving it a distinct smell and taste?

A) Pine skin
B) Tree bark
C) Copper foil
D) Wooden hoops

5. What term refers to the unique characteristics of a region’s environment, such as soil, climate, and vegetation, that are reflected in the taste and quality of its cheese?

A) Terroir
B) Authenticity
C) Tradition
D) Seasonality

Answer Key:

1. C
2. B
3. C
4. B
5. A

Grammar Focus

Grammar Focus: The Use of the Present Simple and Present Continuous Tenses to Describe Habits and Ongoing Actions

Grammar Quiz:

Choose the correct answer for each question:

1. The present simple tense is used to describe _______.

A) Ongoing actions at a specific moment

B) Habits and routines that are generally true

C) Completed actions in the past

D) Future plans and predictions

2. In the sentence “Cheese production involves traditional methods,” the verb “involves” is in the _______.

A) Present continuous tense

B) Present simple tense

C) Past simple tense

D) Future simple tense

3. The sentence “Small teams are working 24/7” is an example of the _______.

A) Present simple tense used to describe a habit

B) Present continuous tense used to describe an ongoing action

C) Past continuous tense used to describe a completed action

D) Future continuous tense used to describe a future action

4. The present continuous tense is used to describe _______.

A) Habits and routines that are generally true

B) Ongoing actions that are happening at a specific moment

C) Completed actions in the past

D) Future plans and predictions

5. In the sentence “The region’s pine forests play a crucial role in cheese production,” the verb “play” is in the _______.

A) Present continuous tense

B) Present simple tense

C) Past simple tense

D) Future simple tense

Answer Key:

1. B) Habits and routines that are generally true

2. B) Present simple tense

3. B) Present continuous tense used to describe an ongoing action

4. B) Ongoing actions that are happening at a specific moment

5. B) Present simple tense