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Cheese of the Day: May 18 – French Munster

Stinky Thursdays Presented by ACS CCP® Erin Clancy:

Hey guys! It’s washed rind Thursday! Today we look at the deliciously stinky French Munster, Munster Gerome, Petit Munster, whatever you call it! ( but not to be confused with the annatto dressed muenster). This is not for the faint-hearted, it is for those who indulge in foods that take your taste buds and your sense of smell to the extreme ( this is when it’s ripe, ripe, ripe. It can be more mild and softer in flavor when it’s a yougin’). It’s SO good.

Originally, Munster was made for personal consumption by the monks who later passed on their traditional cheese-making methods to the peasants of the region. The peasants used the cheese to help pay the rent for the land on which they farmed. Made on both sides of the Vosges mountains, and formerly named “Munster” on the Alsace side and “Gerome” on the Lorraine side, they were united in 1978 under AOC denomination (protected name status). The origin of this cheese can be traced back to the Middle Ages. The cheese is made from milk from the Vosgiennes cows, a breed that was imported from Scandanavia in the 18th century and is known for the high protein content of their milk. Cheeses come in both pasteurized or raw versions and production can be fermier, cooperative, or industriel.*

AOC regulations dictate that all cheeses must be matured within a designated area and that the minimum time for aging is three weeks before release, although ten weeks is more normal. (In the case of Petit Munster, the minimum time is two weeks.)

Pairs great with Trappist beer, Alsacian whites, dessert wines, and gin. Read the article from the Madame Fromage blog to read more about that gin pairing!

* https://culturecheesemag.com/cheese-library/Munster-Gerome
http://www.regions-of-france.com/…/food-gas…/munster-cheese/
http://www.tasteofcheese.ca/cheese-dictiona…/munster-gerome/
http://madamefromageblog.com/2014/gin-and-munster-gerome/
https://behind-the-french-menu.blogspot.com/…/the-cheese-mu…

munster vs muenster story: https://www.vinopair.com/…/tell-me-more-about-muenster-chee…

 
Congratulations to our 2017 ACS CCP Exam and Conference Winners: Kelley Jewell, Tyler Frankenberg, ACS CCP® Hazel-Rue Woodies and ACS CCP® Matt Bellingham. Thanks to the generous donations from cheese lovers everywhere, we are thrilled to send these four worthy recipients to Denver this July!!! You can read all the details here.
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