The arrival of October means autumn is in full swing, with evenings arriving quicker and nights becoming chillier.
it is not all cause for doom and gloom, however, as it also means a new array of warming and hearty seasonal dishes become more viable to cook.
Some of these require specific cheeses to make, and others simply pair well with certain fromage popular in the autumn season.
Cheeses, like other foods, are best eaten at certain times of the year due to production methods or the type of milk used.
This article is part of our series looking at what cheeses are best to eat each month. You can find our previous article on September’s cheeses below.
Read more: Know your cheeses and their seasons: which to eat in France in September
This information is taken from online cheesemonger la boîte du fromager, which provides a seasonal cheese calendar.
Classic cheeses should make an appearance on your table
As with September, stronger cheeses with distinctive tastes are best, influenced by grazing patterns and maturation processes.
Many of the cheeses best eaten in October are amongst France’s most popular, with unpasteurised cow’s milk dominating the list.
The reason for the abundance of cheeses of this type is that these cheeses, made from cows fed from rich and distinctive grazing land over the fertile spring and summer, have had enough time to mature and hit shop shelves.
Four cheeses are recommended, all of which we cover below.
Saint-Nectaire
This semi-firm pressed cow’s milk cheese from Auvergne is first on the list.
An extremely popular cheese, it has its own AOC (protected origin) status, first awarded in 1955, being the first cheese to receive one.
Read more: What are IGP/AOC/AOP labels on French products?
It first gained popularity with the French royalty in the 18th century before becoming famous nationwide.
Today, the process for making Saint-Nectaire includes pressing the cheese for up to 24 hours and maturing it for anywhere between 28 days and three months.
The volcanic soil of the 72 Auvergne communes where the cheese can legally be made help provide the distinctive taste, often described as slightly nutty.
The cheese works great as a standalone, accompanied with bread, but is sometimes used in sandwiches.
Munster
Not to be confused with the German city of the same name, this cheese – also a cow’s milk product – comes from the Vosges region of eastern France.
It is another fairly soft cheese, with a taste derived from the rich pastures of the Vosges mountains and Alsace.
As with many other French (and European) it was originally made by monks in the area, before becoming associated more widely with Alsace.
Munster cheese has quite a strong smell, leading many to believe it will have a sharp taste.
Its rind is also fairly sticky, which may put some people off.
However, its texture is rich and creamy, with a relatively soft taste.
If left to mature, it can become tangy, but this is not the case for most store-bought Munster cheeses.
It is a popular addition to foods such as quiches and omelettes, due to its mild taste and creaminess.
Comté
Comté cheese is revered in France, and is one of the nation’s favourite cheeses.
Sometimes, it is classed as France’s best kept cheese secret.
Whilst Brie and Camembert are internationally famous, Comté is probably more popular on a day to day basis in France, but not so well known outside of the country compared to these other cheeses, especially in the UK and US.
Annually, more than 65,000 tons of the cheese is produced, making it the most common of all France’s AOC-protected cheeses.
Another unpasteurised cow’s milk, Comté is a semi-hard cheese from the east of France, close to the Swiss border.
Regulations on making the cheese are strict, with only milk from Montbéliarde or French Simmental cows able to be used.
The milk must instantly be transported to the factory to begin the cheese-making process, and the pasturage the cows feed on is controlled, with minimum amounts of land for each cow to graze on, plus limits on the type of fertilisers that can be used on the soil.
The cheese is mild and sweet in taste – even sometimes fruity – and can be matured from anywhere up to six to 18 months, sometimes even longer for artisanal products.
Its popularity is in part due to its versatility. It can be eaten on its own as part of a cheeseboard, but also diced and placed in salads or cut into thin strips for sandwiches.
Grated comté was not commercially available between 1979 and 2007, but now it can be bought in this format, being added to pasta dishes, omelettes, and quiches.
Gruyère
The final recommended cheese for the month is mostly associated with Switzerland, but a version is also made in France.
Gruyère is also an unpasteurised cow’s milk cheese. The version of the cheese made in the Alpine regions of Switzerland close to the French border has protected status.
The main difference between these types is the presence of holes in the cheese – French versions of the cheese have holes in, whilst the AOP Swiss version do not (or the holes are extremely small).
It is one of the most famous Alpine cheeses, with a sweet taste that has a salty undertone.
It is matured in conditions set to mimic natural caves (used for other cheeses such as roquefort), at humidity levels close to 100%, and higher temperatures than comparable cheeses.
What makes Gruyère stand out is its versatility in the kitchen. It is popular in baking and cooking, often being used in dishes such as a croque monsieur, cordon bleu, Swiss fondues, and French onion soup.
It is also often used by fast food restaurants serving Swiss-inspired food.
Producers of the cheese lost a court battle in the US last year over naming rights of the cheese in the country.
Read more: French gruyere-makers angry as court approves US version
