Munster (cheese)
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- For the American cheese, see Muenster cheese.
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| Munster | |
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| Country of origin | France |
| Region, town | Haut-Rhin, Munster |
| Source of milk | Cows |
| Pasteurised | No |
| Texture | Soft washed-rind |
| Aging time | 5 weeks to 3 months |
| Certification | AOC 1969 |
Munster Fermier is a cheese that comes from the Alsace region in France dating back to approximately the seventh century. This cheese is protected by an Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC). It is made from unpasteurized cow's milk and is matured in damp cellars for five weeks for the smaller formats (300g) and up to 2 to 3 months for the larger ones (1500g). During this period the rind is periodically washed with brine. The added moisture helps the development of bacteria that gives this cheese its particular taste and colour. The cheese is at its best in the summer and the autumn, when it is made from milk from the haute chaumes ("high stubble") of pastures that have already been mown for midsummer hay in the Vosges mountains. The best cheeses come from the haute vallée de Munster itself, but this cheese is also made in Lapoutroie, Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines, Villé, and other villages. It's called munster géromé when it comes from the Gérardmer Valley, in western Vosges, in Lorraine.
This round cheese with a fat content of 45% in dry matter, has a diameter between 12 and 20 cm, and a thickness between 3 and 5 cm. Normally it is sold unwrapped on a straw bed, but for export it may be wrapped in cellophane or clear plastic. The cheese should have a slick and shiny brick-coloured rind, a semi-soft body, a very strong and penetrating odour, and a very strong taste. Defects: unripened body (crumbly), broken rind, too salty or too old and overdone.
It goes well with a late harvest Gewürztraminer or with young or strong red wines when more mature (Côte-Rôties, Corton, Haut-Médoc, Pinot rouge d'Alsace). In France it's common to add caraway seeds.
There is also an industrial Munster (not protected by an AOC) made from pasteurized milk. Although less expensive, this cheese will never develop the goût du terroir ("local flavour") that is so sought after by connoisseurs. The American version is called Muenster cheese.
The name Munster comes from the city of Munster, where the cheese was developed by the monks, and refers to the Latin monasterium (monastery).
