51-AOP-scaled

bordure

Comté

Produced in the Jura mountains, which is a region with a clear differentiation between the seasons, Comté can only be made with raw milk from Montbéliarde or French Simmental cows made fed exclusively on fodder from the designated area of origin. The number of litres needed to make a wheel (450 litres on average) drove peasants in the Middles Ages to introduce a novel village organisational structure, kind of precursors of cooperatives. Comté is a cooked pressed cheese that has been aged for at least four months. But some wheels of this noble cheese are left to mature for eighteen or even twenty-four months. It is characterised by an amazing diversity of flavours. Its tastes reflect the prairies it comes from, the season and the particular touch of the maker and the way it was matured in the cellar … Each wheel tells a story … and every story is different.

Cheese
Cow’s milk
YEAR OF LABELLING
1958
Raw milk
Pressed cooked cheese

Key figures

2 389 Farms
140 Production plants
15 Maturing plants
64 500 Tons marketed in 2020

Download the product data sheet

READ MORE

Our tasting tips

La découpe du Comté

Cutting

Pains à déguster avec le Comté

Breads

Nut bread
Seeded baguette

Accords gourmands

Food pairings

Alcohol abuse is harmful to your health.

Drink in moderation.

Jura wines are particularly recommended as accompaniment for Comté, as they make for an essential combination of the region’s finest produce. White Châteauneuf-du-pape or Champagne also go very well it, forming happy unions that provide freshness and balance. Lagers can also be relied upon for a harmonious coupling with Comté. When you want to get really cosy, try Comté with a cup of tea. And for snacking, you’ll be surprised by how nicely Comté goes with vanilla or griottines.

Organoleptic characteristics

Appearance

Comté is made with no added colouring, the colour of its paste speaking of the season in which it was made. If it is a very light yellow, it is a “winter Comté” made when the cows have been kept in the barn and fed on hay. On the other hand, if it is yellow, it is a “summer Comté” made when the cows have been out to pasture in the Jura meadows, eating fresh grass and plants, all rich in carotene and natural plant colouring. The colour of Comté’s rind can vary from golden yellow to brown is also attributable to the atmosphere of the cellar and the time spent ageing.

Texture

Texture

The paste is firm, creamy and fine and, in old Comtés,, dotted with Tyrosine crystals.

Gout

Taste

Comté has an array of tastes that reflect its geographical origin, the season, the skill applied and the maturing time, with a young Comté distinguished by milky flavours. An older Comté will have a surprising range of fruity (nuts and citrus) or roasted (brioche, dark chocolate) flavours that emerge slowly in the mouth.