Notes - The Cooking of Provincial France

CHAPTER 26 : THE COOKING OF PROVINCIAL FRANCE.

To many a lay person, French cooking means an elaborate and expensive way to complicate or at least masking foods with sauces. Unfortunately French cooking can also mean mediocre or poor or dishonest cooking served with pomp in pretentious restaurants everywhere, even in the city of Paris. There is of course another side of French cooking. What is called haute or grande cuisine may be modern mans nearest approach to pure bliss. However provincial cooking is sometimes quite different from haute (grande) cuisine. It simply means, the cooking that springs from regional areas called provinces. Grande cuisine owes a lot to true provincial cooking. Most of the great chefs came from villages in the provinces. They have learnt to adapt the cooking styles as well as the raw material from their regions to the kitchens of rich and famous. In true provincial cooking, there is no need for complexity. Food is cooked in its own juices and served right in the casseroles in which they are cooked.

In this handout we will deal with the provincial cooking of France. The historic provinces of France no longer exist as potential entities. Starting with the Bretagne (Brittany) in the northwest, there are eleven regions divided according to their culinary contribution to French cooking.

BRETAGNE (Brittany) takes its food and cooking simply. The sea supplies an abundance of fish and excellent Belon oysters are found along the coast. Bretagne can also be credited with inventing the French version of the pancake – the delicate crepe.

NORMANDIE – can boast of richest milk, cream and butter in all of France, Norman cream is an important ingredient in some of the best French dishes, and much of the milk goes into the world famous Camembert cheese. The meat from the region is also excellent, especially the sheep and lamb pastured in the salt marshes along the coast. Apples grow abundantly, most of them going into cider, the favorite accompaniment to Norman meals, or in the fiery brandy called calvados.

CHAMPAGNE – makes one supreme contribution to French cuisine – the famous sparkling wine, named after the province. Although its repertoire of food is limited, the region produces excellent ham and sausages and neighboring Flanders has invented many different ways to serve the herrings.

TOURAINE – is often called ‘the garden of France’. Its recipes can be as delicate as Trout in Aspic or as robust as Roast Pork with Prunes. The Loire Valley that cuts through the province is ‘ Chateaux Country’ where French kings relaxed in the splendor of their country estates while their chefs made most of the regions fine fruits and vegetables.

ILE DE FRANCE – The fertile land surrounding Paris is the birthplace of the classic cooking style known as Le Grande Cuisine. It was here, in the cavernous kitchens of kings and lords that French cooking became a high art. Cooks competed with one another to invent even more elaborate dishes. The cooking of Ile de France lacks a striking regional personality, but it draws on the culinary genius of all the provinces.

ALSACE AND LORRAINE – have often come under German domination and this is reflected in their cooking. Alsatian food with its sausages and sauerkraut has a Germanic heritage. The food of Lorraine is slightly more French in character. The most famous dish is the Quiche Lorraine. The province is also known for its excellent potee, a cabbage soup with salted pork and vegetables. The fruity Rhine wine of Alsace rival those of Germany.

BOURGOGNE (Burgundy) is justly well known throughout the world for its wines, and these wines, white and red, play a dominant role in Burgundian cooking. Red burgundy is a key ingredient in Boeuf Bourguignon the king of beef stews and also in most regional dishes. An annual gastronomic fair held in Dijon, the region’s principal city and the ‘mustard capital’ draws gourmets from all over the world.

BORDEAUX and the country around it are best known for their wine, which rank with the ones from Burgundy as the best of French produce. Bordeaux cooks have developed a highly specialized cuisine to go with their great wines. Also in this region are cognac (the brandy capital) and Perigueux; whose truffles go into the making of Pate de foie gras the most extravagant delicacy of French table.

FRANCHE – COMTE along with its neighboring provinces of Savoie and Dauphine is mostly mountain country and the food is as robust as the climate. Perhaps the greatest contribution of this region to the national cuisine is the Bresse Chicken, a small bird whose flesh is so delicate that even the inventive French prefer it simply roasted without any spices or sauces to obscure its flavor. The cows of this region produce more milk than its inhabitants can consume and much of the surplus is used to make cheese. The French version of Swiss Gruyere the Comte comes from this region.

LANGUEDOC, FOIX AND ROUSSILLON – Languedoc was once an outpost of the Roman Empire and it has retained traces of Roman influence in the cuisine. Especially popular here are the old Roman ‘Cassoulets’ which are rich concoctions of goose or duck, pork or mutton plus sausage and white beans. To the west, along the Pyrenees is Foix and Roussillon, the Spanish culinary influence prevails, particularly in the omlettes prepared with green peppers, ham and tomato.

PROVENCE – has been a favorite vacation center since Roman times. Like some other regions of north Mediterranean, it bases its cooking on garlic, olive oil and tomatoes. Bouillabaisse, the famed fish stew/Soup comes from the Marseille waterfront. In general, the cuisine of Provence is much more highly flavored than the rest of France.

THE BREADS OF FRANCE

It is enough to say that bread is to the Frenchman, what rice is to the Chinese and potatoes to the German. It is also safe to say that most normal Frenchmen would rather starve than substitute their daily supply of bread. The French are extremely demanding about what is literally their staff of life. It must be fresh, baked not too long before the time it has to be eaten. Under ideal circumstances, some people like their loaves very brown and crusty and some like them comparatively pale, but still capable of making razor sharp crumbs when broken. The loaf must be of a certain shape, depending on the conditioned wishes of the family! Although neighborhood bakeries usually manage to satisfy their customers, some Frenchmen will go clear across town to get bread that is perhaps centimeters wider or longer than the ones more readily available. Bread is usually eaten at all three meals of the day - always in the morning, with hot milk, chocolate or coffee; always at noon with a bowl of a hearty soup and often at night with the main meal. Although very rarely is any bread leftover (a French housewife has a special intuition which tells her the exact consumption of her family!!) surplus quantities go into the making of stuffing and puddings or made into breadcrumbs. Very rarely will it be eaten as bread the next day.

By far the most popular kind of bread in France is the Baguette, a golden brown, rod shaped loaf, 2 feet long. Next comes the Petit Parisien which is shorter and fatter than the Baquette. There are whole grain breads like the one made of black rye Courte d’ Auvergne. The French though disdainful of foreign cooking are quick to recognize and adopt good bread. The Natte Ordinaire and Natte aux Cumins are both Austrian in origin whereas the Pain Espagnol as the name suggests comes from Spain. The croissant, brioche and Vienna rolls are all special treats and are popularly known as breakfast rolls.

SOUPS

In a great number of provincial families, the main meal at noon is soupless. The soup is served for supper, with perhaps a light egg dish to follow. In simple French fare, the soup is kept simple, since it is eaten at the end of the day. However a complex dish such as Bouillabaisse is seldom served at night. In the same category of main dish soups are cotriade (a pungent Breton Bouillabaisse), bourride (a garlicky fish stew) and soupe au pistou (a spicy vegetable soup). Each of these has a complimentary sauce. Rouille (a peppery concoction) suited for Bouillabaisse and cotirade, aioli for bourride while the soupe au Pistou gets its name from Pistou – a blend of garlic, herbs, tomato paste and cheese, which is added to the soup.

However, generally, soups are based more on vegetables. These soups are considered healthy or potages de sante. There is a popular saying in France ‘soups’ enough if there’s enough soup.

FISH

Most non – Frenchmen are amazed by the eating habits of the French. A Frenchman will look for and then prepare and eat with enjoyment food, which to us may seem outlandish. A good example of this is snails. Snails are usually prepared in the Burgundian style, served in their shells with strong flavoured garlic butter. Another creature that the French have raised to a lordly place on the table is the frog; frogs’ legs (cuisses de grenouilles) are prepared and eaten in a way similar to chicken legs. Plainly, anything that lives is edible – in France at least. Another delicacy in France is the ‘eel’ – the delicate flesh of which is prepared in many various forms including smoked, roasted, fried, boiled and broiled. Oysters are usually eaten raw but clams, scallops and mussels find their way into delicious hors d’oeuvre or fish dishes on a dinner menu. Depending on where they are caught, these shellfish may be prepared with butter, cream and egg yolk in the north or with olive oil, tomato and garlic in the south. Most of the supply of fish in France comes from the southern part of Marseille. It has one of the most colourful marketplaces where on inconceivable amount of fish is available and sold. The catch could include eels, mullet, sardines, shrimp, clams, inkfish, mussels, oysters, sea urchins bass, red snapper, trout, cod, rockfish, whitefish and mackerels.

POULTRY AND MEAT

France is known for its variety of poultry meats. Every housewife is well versed in the preparation of various fricassees, stews and blanquettes. Best of all, perhaps are the chickens, simply roasted with good butter, flavoured with tarragon or lemon juice. They are served tender and succulent with a slightly crackly skin. This method can be used for any domesticated fowl. A duck or goose with their higher fat content, are much richer. Wild birds, because of their diet and exercise are tougher, dryer but more flavoursome. They must be cooked by slow simmering rather than roasting. Tender squabs and older pigeons are also eaten. Cockerels, Leghorns and Hens are stewed or braised and used in making of that famous dish Coq au Vin. Turkeys, which are becoming increasingly popular in France, are best treated like chickens, depending on their age.

When William the Norman conquered England in 1066, he brought much more than armed law to the land. The Normans ate their meals in courses, often to music and they drank wine and made cooked dishes of their meats instead of tearing them from the bones, half raw. To native Britans, these table manners seemed hilariously dainty at first but gradually such customs were accepted as part of everyday life. Thus it was the French who taught the English the art of gracious living.

Although in most parts of the western world a joint of Beef is the symbol of a robust meal, in France, it is more likely to be lamb, veal or pork, roasted simply to bring out its best flavour. If a good piece of beef is to be served, it is generally browned first and then braised or stewed in its own juices along with a few vegetables. Lamb most often than not, is served pink in France and leg of baby lamb is one of the favourite dishes of the French family. In Brittany lamb is braised and then served with white beans. The French version of the casoulet is a mixture of beans (dried) and meat can vary according to family tastes and availability of materials. But whatever is put into it, simple or complex, it is a sturdy, hearty dish.

Besides these dishes, the French are also very fond of offals or innards as they are more popularly known as. In France, the innards are treated as respectfully as any other part of the carcass. Tripe, brain, liver, kidney, tongue are all deliciously prepared and are among the favourites of the local French population.

CHEESE

Cheese in many cooked or heated forms can be used in any part of a well-planned meal to add flavour consistency and interest! It can be found in omlettes, soufflés and tarts to start a dinner or to be the main course of a lighter lunch or supper. It can form an essential part of many sauces, or it can be used to variate colour, and flavour in dishes. But to serve cheese as such is unthinkable in France until the end of the meal. Then is the time to finish the last few bites of bread. It is a near truth that cheese is never eaten without bread, but there are expectations. Probably the best example is “coeur a la crème” a white creamed cheese served with strawberries.

Cheese comes in a wider variety of tastes, shapes and textures in France than anywhere else in the world. However, this leadership is more than numerical – the quality is of international repute. Camembert is one of the most popular of all French cheese. Its rind is light yellow – orange with a fine white powdery dust, on the inside, it should be light pale yellow with a soft

creamy texture. Brie is next to Camembert in its popularity. It has a soft, satin like texture. Another cheese from the Brie-Camembert family is Coulommiers less mellow than Brie and tastes like Camembert. Roquefort is a salty tangy cheese with green-blue flecks. Another popular blue-veined cheese is Bleu de Bresse. Cantal is similar to cheddar, a semi hard smooth light lemon coloured cheese. Saint Paulin and Port Salut are similar cheeses, semi-hard, mild with a smooth buttery like texture. Reblochon, though in appearance, akin to Camembert is a much firmer cheese and in taste is somewhat like both Beaumont and Le Dauphinois. Pont-L’Eveque is a square shaped cheese with a soft and pale yellow interior. Fromage au marc de Raisin also called La Grappe is a pale sweet, pasty cheese that is rolled in a crust of grape pulp (marc). Comte is the French version of Swiss Gruyere (complete with holes). Saint-Maure, Valencay and Saint-Marcellin are all goat milk cheeses generally eaten while still fresh and produced in small quantities. Mimolette resembles Dutch Edam but has a much tangier flavour while Murister is a strong flavoured, semi-soft, pungent cheese, Boursin and Belletoile are rich, fresh cheeses eaten by themselves with a little powdered sugar sprinkled over. All cheeses are best eaten at room temperature, removed from the refrigerator 2-3 hours before service. Although generally eaten with fruit and bread as the dessert at the end of a meal, they are equally well suited for an hors d’oeuvre or a midday snack.

DESSERTS

Most good French pastrymen have their own specialities and pride themselves on their meringues and pates brisees. However, considerably the number of dessert tricks French cooks seem to have up their sleeves, it is surprising that their meals so seldom feature desserts. There are two types of basic pastry dough used in France in countless ways – the pate brisee, which is the same dough used for quiches and tarts that are eaten as hors d’oeuvres and main dishes, but sweetened for desserts and then there is the pate chou or a choux pastry. The simple sponge cake used as a base for many other confections is called a Bisquit (which literally means cooked twice), vanilla or chocolate flavoured not more than an inch and a half high. It can be filled with crème anglaise and then perhaps iced. It can also be cut into small squares for petit fours. It does not contain any baking powder and its lightness depends on the mixing of beaten egg whites into the batter. A crème anglaise is a standard in any French housewives repertory. It can be thin, to pour over fresh or poached fruits, somewhat thicker to half fill a piecrust and thicker still to spread between two layers of sponge. The soufflé is one of the most popular desserts normally kept plain and simple or perhaps flavoured with a liqueur such as Grande Mariner or grated lemon or orange rind. Crème caramel, Paris Brest, Profiteroles, Gateau St.Honore and the Diplomate are all traditional French favourites.

French Cheeses

Soft Cheeses –

1. Brie – It comes from the region of Ile de France. Brie almost became famous overnight. At the Vienna Congress in 1815, there was an argument as to which country produced the best cheese. Frenchman Talleyrand proposed a competition and put forward Brie de Meaux which was declared the best amongst the rest 60 cheeses. It was then unanimously crowned Roi de Fromages.

The first mention of the cheese can be found in the records of the court of champagne in 1217. Preripened milk is mixed with morning milk and then mixed carefully in 6 successive layers into stainless steel rings and the whey is removed by perforated spoons. The cheese is turned and placed on clean reed mats. After six or seven days, the cheese is sprinkled with powdered Penicillium candidum and ripened for 4 weeks at 11̊̊C. Any change in temperature will cause changes in shape, colour and taste of the Brie. A good Brie should have an evenly distributed mould layer, cream coloured soft palate and a nice flavour. After ripening, the cheeses are wrapped in waxed paper and packed. There are many varieties of Brie like Brie de Melun, Brie de Meaux, Brie de montereau, etc.

2. Brillat – savarin - Brillat-Savarin is a soft, white-crusted cow's milk cheese with at least 75% fat in dry matter (roughly 40% overall), named after the 18th century French gourmet and political figure Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin. The cheese was created in the 1930s by cheese-maker Henri Androuët. Brillat-Savarin is produced all year round, mainly in Normandy. It comes in 12-13 cm wheels and approximately 4 cm thick, and is aged for one to two weeks. It is also available as a fresh cheese (non affine) that resembles rich cream cheese. It is a triple cream Brie that is luscious, creamy and faintly sour. It goes well with medjool dates and also champagne. Because of its creaminess combined with its Brie aroma and slight sharpness, it has been described as "Dairylea for grownups" or "what Dairylea tastes like in heaven".

3. Boursin - is a brand of Gournay cheese. It is a soft creamy cheese available in a variety of flavours. Its flavour and texture is somewhat similar to cream cheese. Boursin cheese was first produced in 1957 by François Boursin inNormandy. Boursin is a trademark – Boursin cheese was at one time produced exclusively in Croisy-sur-Eure, France, by the Boursin company, a subsidiary of Groupe Bel, which purchased Boursin in November 2007 for 400 million Euros

4. Cancoillotte – it is an unripened curd cheese, mostly homemade product from the vicinity of the Besancon. The curds are placed in the warm part of the kitchen to ferment and to develop a unique strong flavour. They are then heated with milk or butter or white wine (as per family tradition). The melted cheese is then poured into a dish to form a thick paste to be used with a combination of dishes like a savoury pastry or potatoes and fried eggs etc.

5. Camembert – Camembert cheese takes its name from the Normandy village of Camembert in the department of the Orne. Camembert has been produced since the seventeenth century. Marie Harle was the inventor of the first “modern” Camembert with the regular mold flora. In 1910 Penicilium candidum, a white mold improved the industrial produce of camembert. A real Camembert has a fine, supple consistency a taste reminiscent of mushrooms and a strong aroma.

6. Caprice des Dieux - he Caprice of the Gods is a brand of cheese industrial double cream white crust and soft, supple texture. Ce fromage est caractérisé par la couleur bleue et la forme en « calisson » de son emballage. This cheese is characterized by the blue colour and shape "calisson" from its packaging. La marquee Caprice des Dieux appartient au groupe fromager Bongrain . The brand belongs to Caprice des Dieux cheese group Bongrain.

7. Care de l’Est – It is a square shaped cheeses with a spotlessly white mold. It ripens on screens and its paste is homogeneous with a fat content of 40%-60%. The cheese is slightly salted and its flavour resembles that of the Camembert.

8. Epoisses – In the Burgundy country of the cote d’ Or, to the west of Dijon lies Epoisses village where the cheese of the same name is made. It is made by mixing well chilled evening milk with fresh morning milk. As soon as the mold forms, the cheese is soaked in water and an eau de vie made from grape pulp called Mar de Bourgogne. Just before selling they are again soaked in the Marc which has been fortified by a good strong white Burgundy.

9. Edel de cleron - del de Cléron is a traditional French cheese of relatively recent origin which carries the name of the village where it is made, Cléron, in the valley of the Loue of the Doubs department in Franche-Comté. By its taste, form and texture, it is close to a Vacherin Mont-d'Or. It is made from lightly pasteurized cow's milk from the Doubs department. It is made all year long. It is surrounded by a band, and packaged in a box, of natural aromatic pine bark from the Jura mountains.

10. Fromage à pate demi-dure – It is an uncooked and pressed cheeses which tastes a bit like Cheddar and is made from cow's milk in the Auvergne, and the delicious Tomme de Savoie.
11. Langres – Langres is a French cheese from the plateau of Langres in the region of Champagne-Ardenne. It has benefited from a Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) since 1991. Langres is a cow's milk cheese, cylindrical in shape, weighing about 180g. The central pâte is soft, creamy in colour, and slightly crumbly, and is surrounded by a white penicillium candidum rind. It is a less pungent cheese than Époisses de Bourgogne, its local competition. It is best eaten between May and August after 5 weeks of aging, but it is also excellent March through December.

12. Le Montagnard - he Montagnard des Vosges, as the name implies, is a mountain cheese with a strong character. It is an intensely creamy cheese with pleasant, earthy flavours, but without any sharpness at the finish. It is excellent as a table cheese with rustic bread or a baguette. The Montagnard is best enjoyed with a Pinot Gris, or Chardonnay that will highlight its strong nature. Made from cow's milk in the eastern region of France, this cheese has subtle wood aromas and earthy tones.
    
    A washed rind cheese, it bares the colours of autumn on its rind: the bright orange exterior hides a creamy, rich paste full of tasty promise. The texture is smooth, unctuous, and melting, reminiscent of the fresh, milky aromas of mountain pastures. The Montagnard is soft and slightly pungent, with an edible rind.

13. Livarot – It is a world famous cheese from the Pays d’Auge. It was once a skimmed milk cheese but now it is made from the skimmed evening milk of the previous day mixed with the full cream morning milk. The cheeses are not ripened on the farm and are sold off on the market in Livarot as Livarot blanc. A maturing Livarot cheese tends to dip in the centre, thus it is bound by 5 strips of cattail leaf or paper. The stripes left by the same have given the nickname of “The Colonel” to the Livarot!! The consistency is soft with small “eyes” and mild flavours with strong aromas.
14. Morbier - Morbier is a semi-soft cows' milk cheese of France named after the small village of Morbier in Franche-Comté. It is ivory coloured, soft and slightly elastic, and is immediately recognizable by the black layer of tasteless ash separating it horizontally in the middle. It has a rind that is yellowish, moist, and leathery. Traditionally, the cheese consists of a layer of morning milk and a layer of evening milk. When making Gruyère de Comté, cheesemakers would end the day with leftover curd that was not enough for an entire cheese. Thus, they would press the remaining evening curd into a mold, and spread ash over it to protect it overnight. The following morning, the cheese would be topped up with morning milk. Nowadays, the cheese is usually made from a single milking with the ash added for tradition. The Jura and Doubs versions both benefit from an appellation d'origine contrôlée(AOC), though other non-AOC Morbier exist on the market. The aroma of Morbier is strong, but the flavour is rich and creamy, with a slightly bitter aftertaste.

15. Munster – Alsace Lorraine is on the border of France and Germany and this region gives us its greatest cheese called Munster. It is said that this cheese was first made by Irish Monks who settled in Vosges in the 7^th century. Munster is a round cheese with an orange red rind a yellow and very soft consistency and a distinct tangy flavour. Real farmhouse Munster is becoming rare and is very expensive. Munsters are ripened in cellars for two months after being dried in the outdoors. They are ripened on rye straw beds alongside already mature Munster from which they get their rind flora.

16. Gerome – It is a larger Munster originally made in the mountain huts of Gerardmer on the east slopes.

17. Neufchatel – Where the river Epte runs before and beyond the town of Gournay, some of the finest dairy country between Paris and the sea is said to be found. This area is known as the Pays de Bray and its most famous cheese is Neufchatel. It has been produced since the 15^th century. It a small cheese weighing up to 100g each. Fresh Neufchatels have a white flora on it. They have a soft paste which is lightly salted and has a pure and refreshing flavour. They come in various shapes which describes their names like the cylindrical Bonde/Bondon, rectangular Briquette and the heart shaped Coeur.
18. Pont l’Eveque - Pont-l'Évêque is a French cheese, originally manufactured in the area around the commune ofPont-l'Évêque, between Deauville and Lisieux in the Calvados département of Basse-Normandie, and probably the oldest Norman cheese still in production. Pont-l'Évêque is an uncooked, unpressed cow's-milk cheese, square in shape usually at around 10cm square and around 3cm high, weighing 400g. The central pâte is soft, creamy pale yellow in colour with a smooth, fine texture and has a pungent aroma. This is surrounded by a washed rind that is white with a gentle orange-brown coloration. The whole is soft when pressed but lacks elasticity. It is generally ranked alongside Brie, Camembert, and Roquefort as one of the most popular cheeses in France. The cheese has been made in Normandy since at least the 12th century, and local legend claims that it was first made in a Norman abbey. A manuscript from the time writes that a fine meal should always end with some "angelot", the name used for the cheese at the time. The cheese became popular across the country from the 16th century onwards, when it obtained the name of the village around which its production was centred. Pont-l'Évêque was recognised as anAppellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) cheese on August 30, 1972, reaching full status in 1976. Its production was defined and protected with a decree of December 29, 1986. The AOC regulations include the following restrictions:

• The milk must come from a controlled area around the village of Pont-l'Évêque, extending to the départments ofCalvados, Eure, Manche, Mayenne, Orne and Seine-Maritime.

• The curd must be successively divided, kneaded and then drained.
• During affinage the cheeses must be washed, brushed and turned.
• The resulting cheese must be one of three sizes:
• Petit - 8.5-9.5cm square, and a minimum of 85g of dry matter.
• Demi - 10.5-11.5cm by 5.2-5.7cm, with a minimum of 70g of dry matter.
• Grand - 19-21cm square, with a minimum of 650g of dry matter.

The cheese is around 45% fat as a percentage of dry matter and is manufactured throughout the year. Regulations currently allow both pasteurized or unpasteurized milk to be used during manufacture.

19. Chaource - Chaource is a French cheese, originally manufactured in the village of Chaource in the Champagne-Ardenne region. Chaource is a cow's milk cheese, cylindrical in shape at around 10 cm in diameter and 6 cm in height, weighing either 250 or 450 g. The central pâte is soft, creamy in colour, and slightly crumbly, and is surrounded by a white penicillium candidum rind. The cheese has been made in its namesake village since at least the Middle Ages. Cheese is still manufactured there, ranging from small cheese makers to industrial scale production further away. It is only made in a tightly controlled area in the départements of Aube and Yonne.

20. Banon- Banon is a French cheese made in the region around the town of Banon in Provence, south-east France. Also known as Banon à la feuille, it is an unpasteurized cheese made from goat's milk and is circular in shape, around 7 cm in diameter and 2.5 cm in height, and weighing around 100 g. This pungent uncooked, unpressed cheese consists of a fine soft white pâte that is wrapped in chestnut leaves and tied with raffia prior to shipping. The Provençal specialty fromage fort du Mont Ventoux is made by placing a young banon in an earthenware jar. The cheese is then seasoned with salt and pepper, doused in vinegar and eau-de-vie and left in a cool cellar to ferment. The concoction will last for many years becoming increasingly fierce in taste.

21. Brocciu - Brocciu is a cheese produced from sheep milk or goat milk. This is notable as a substitute for lactose-rich Italian Ricotta, as brocciu does not contain lactose. Produced on the island of Corsica, Brocciu is considered the national food. Like Ricotta, it is a young white cheese and is paired frequently with Corsican white wines. The word brocciu is related to the French word "brousse" and means fresh cheese made with goat or ewe's milk. Production of Brocciu: Brocciu is made from whey. First, the whey is heated to a low temperature just a few degrees below 100F and then ewe's milk is added and further heated to just a bit below 200F. After heating, the cheese is drained, the whey removed, and the cheese is finished. Serving of Brocciu: the cheese is ready for consumption immediately, although ripening is acceptable between perhaps a couple weeks to a month. However, the ideal affinage time for Brocciu is 48 hours to one month. ^[1] Other Corsican sheep's-milk cheeses are Asco,Brin d'amour, A filetta, Fleur de maquis, Sarteno and Niolo.

22. Cabécou is a soft goat cheese that comes from the Midi-Pyrénées region of southern France. It has a thin striped rind and after 2 weeks its crust grows blue mold changing its taste. Chabichou (also known as Chabichou duPoitou) is a traditional soft, unpasteurized, natural-rind French goat cheese (or Chèvre) with a firm and creamy texture. Chabichou is aged for 10 to 20 days. habichou of Poitou is made of fresh and whole goat's milk. It is quickly but slightly pressurized: less than 100 microliters per litre of milk. They then let the milk coagulate during a 24-hour period between 20 and 22°C. This curd is then moulded manually with a ladle or mixer into perforated and truncated moulds and left to drain for another 18 to 24 hours while turning it over it two or three times, maintaining it at 22°C. Afterwards, they are removed from the moulds and salted with dry salt or sometimes in abrine bath. It is then laid out in drying rooms, i.e. it is drained while being placed in moulds for 24 to 48 hours. Afterwards it is left to mature in cellars at between 10 and 12°C and within 80% to 90% humidity. It remains there for at least 10 days, but generally for two or three weeks. Some are even preserved for months for a more vigorous flavour.

23. Pélardon, formerly called paraldon, pélardou and also péraudou, is a French cheese from the Cévennes range of the Languedoc-Roussillon region. It is a traditional cheese made from goat's milk. It is round soft-ripened cheese covered in a white mold (à pâte molle à croûte fleurie) weighing approximately 60 grams, with a diameter of 60-70 mm and a height of 22-27 mm. Pélardon has benefited from Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) status since August 2000.
24. Pouligny-Saint-Pierre is a French goats'-milk cheese made in the Indre department of central France. Its name is derived from the commune of Pouligny-Saint-Pierre in the Indre department where it was first made in the 19th century. The cheese is distinctive, being pyramidal in shape and golden brown in colour with speckles of grey-blue mould, and is often known by the nicknames "Eiffel Tower" or "Pyramid". It has a square base 6.5cm wide, is around 9cm high, and weighs 250g.^[1] The central pâte is bright white with a smooth, crumbly texture that mixes an initial sour taste with salty and sweet overtones. The exterior has a musty odour reminiscent of hay. It is made exclusively from unpasteurized milk. Both fermier (farmhouse) and industriel (dairy) production is used with thefermier bearing a green label, and industriel a red label. Its region of production is relatively small, taking in only 22 communes. he manufacture is typical of the great goats cheeses of the Loire Valley. The coagulating milk is placed whole into moulds with holes to drain the whey. It is then dried in a well-ventilated cellar with affinage of at least two weeks, although the best examples are left for up to five weeks. Production now occurs all year round although farmhouse manufacturers produce between spring and autumn.

25. Rocamadour is a French cheese from the regions of Périgord and Quercy. It takes its name from the commune of Rocamadour in the département of Lot. It has benefited from an Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) since 1996. It is a very young goats cheese of just 35g that can be eaten after just 12-15 days of ageing, but gets more intense after a few months. When young it is often consumed on hot toast, in salads or, as it ages, on its own with a red wine after a meal.

26. Sainte-Maure de Touraine is a French cheese produced in the region of Touraine, mainly in the department ofIndre-et-Loire. It is named after the small town of Sainte-Maure-de-Touraine, in the department of Indre-et-Loire, at equal distance from westly Chinon and eastly Loches. Sainte-Maure de Touraine is an unpasteurized cheese made from goat's whole milk. It has the form of a small log, around 16-17 cm in length, and weighs at least 250 g. It is white and soft under a greyish mouldy rind. A remarkable feature is the straw through its centre, marked by the AOC seal and a number indicating the producer. The straw is used, in the making, to keep the roll together. The finished cheese has 45% milkfat.

27. Saint-Nectaire is a French cheese made in the Auvergne region of central France. The cheese has been made in Auvergne since at least the 17th century. Its name comes from the Marshal of Sennecterre (a linguistic corruption of "Saint-Nectaire"), who served it at the table of Louis XIV. The Marshal of Sennecterre is also responsible for the introduction of Cantal and Salers. Saint-Nectaire is a pressed, uncooked cheese made from cow's milk, mainly of Holstein and Montbéliarde and sometimes Salers. It is circular in shape, around 21 cm in diameter and 5 cm in height, and weighing around 1.7 kg. The finished cheese has a grey/brown rind, with white, yellow or red patches that surround a semi-hard pâte that is creamy in appearance with occasional residual holes. This dense cheese has a silky texture with soft acidity, and its taste is similar to that of Reblochon, with hints of hazelnut and mushrooms, due to the aromatic flora where the cheese ages. After being heated to 32 °C, rennet is added to the milk and left for around an hour. The curd is milled to around the size of grains of rice and gathered into a single mass, known as the tomme. The tomme is cut into small cubes and pressed into the circular mould by hand. After pressing, the cheese is salted and pressed for around 24 hours, turning around midway through. The mould is discarded and the cheese is dried over a period of three days. The period of affinage lasts up to eight weeks, during which time they are twice washed in brine and aged on rye straw. The majority of Saint-Nectaires are transported to a professionalaffineur for the final six weeks of the affinage. The affinage is also cut short if it is decided that the flavour and scent are not developing sufficiently. Around 15 litres of milk are required to make one cheese, and the final product is at least 45% fat as a percentage of dry matter.

28. Saint-Félicien is a cow's milk cheese produced in the Rhône-Alpes region of France. In France, it is designated adauphinois cheese, referring to the former French province Dauphiné where it originated. The cheese is a close cousin of another dauphinois cheese, Saint-Marcellin, and bears a similar texture and taste, though it can be almost twice as large in diameter. The name originates from the small town where the cheese was first produced and sold. The cheese was originally made from goat's milk, but since then it has become more common to produce the cheese with cow's milk. Its creamy interior is encased in a flower-style (fleurie) casing. Its average weight is 180 grams. The optimal period for flavour occurs between April and September after an aging of 4 to 6 weeks, but it is also excellent consumed between March and December. It is softer and creamier than Saint-Marcellin.

29. Selles-sur-Cher is a French goats'-milk cheese made in the Centre region of France. Its name is derived from the commune of Selles-sur-Cher in the Loir-et-Cher department where it was first made in the 19th century. The cheese is sold in small cylindrical units, around 8cm in diameter at the base (reduced to around 7cm at the top) and 2-3cm in height, and weighing around 150g.^[1] The central pâte is typical of goats cheese, rigid and heavy at first but moist and softening as it melts in the mouth. Its taste is lightly salty with a persistent aftertaste. The exterior is dry with a grey-blue mould covering its surface and has a musty odour. The mould is often eaten and has a considerably stronger flavour.

30. Valençay is a cheese made in the province of Berry in central France. Its name is derived from the town ofValençay in the Indre department. Distinctive in its truncated pyramidal shape, Valençay is an unpasteurised goats-milk cheese weighing 200-250g and around 7cm in height. Its rustic blue-grey colour is made by the natural moulds that form its rind, darkened with a dusting of charcoal. The young cheese has a fresh, citric taste, with age giving it a nutty taste characteristic of goats cheeses. The cheese achieved AOC status in 1998 making Valençay the first region to achieve AOC status for both its cheese and its wine. The curd is drained and placed in a mould. After being removed it is covered with charcoal dust and left to ripe in a humid, ventilated room. Affinage lasts for three weeks during which time its characteristic external mould forms and the central pate - initially crumbly - softens. The cheese is available between March and December, with peak manufacture between April and August.

31. Tomme au Raisin – It is a cheese from the North east of France. It is ripened in natural caves. It may be treated with brandy and brushed. It is coated with grape pulp. After each turning the cheese is pressed the mold into the rind by hand. The crust formed is gray in colour.

32. Fondu au Marc de Raisin – It is similar to the Tomme au Raisin except that over here pasteurized milk is used to make this cheese.

Hard Cheeses –

1. Beaufort d’ Montagne – It is a type of the famous Gruyere cheese being produced in France. Unlike Comte or Emmental, Beaufort is not allowed to form holes or “eyes”. It has a smooth and creamy consistency, with an excellent fruity aroma and taste. The shape of the Beaufort is somewhere between the straight Comte and the convex Emmental. It weighs from 30Kg to 60Kg. It is also called the Prince of the Gruyeres. It is made with extremely rich milk from the valleys of Tatentaise and Maurienne. The method of production has been passed down from one generation of farmers to another. The Beaufort ripens at 10C. The production of Beaufort d’Montagne is relatively small.

2. Comte – This cheese is also part of the Gruyere. It is slightly moist and crumbly with a rind. The consistency is firm and it has holes or eyes as big as nuts. Owing to the mold on the rind, it has a more pronounced character than that of Emmental with respect to smell and taste. Comte is made from evening milk set aside for ripening and creaming up. When the cream has been skimmed off, it is mixed with morning milk and is processed raw thus not subjecting it to heat treatment. This induces slow ripening process and takes up to 6 months to ripen at 18C to 20 degrees C. To enhance rind mold formation, we don’t brush it as with Beaufort but wipe it with brine soaked cloth. It is ripened in cellars.

3. Emmental – Emmental is from the famous Swiss cheese region around Berne but in France today, it is considered to be the original French Gruyere cheese. France is the largest producer of Emmental in the world. It is however not exported but consumed within the country itself. Normally a meter in diameter, French Emmental is a huge cartwheel of cheese which weighs up to 130Kg. It can be recognised by the Red Mark signifying its origin. The mild somewhat sweet taste is reminiscent of fresh nuts. The consistency is softer than the Gruyere. Emmental as a trademark has many large holes. During ripening, the rind turns hard and yellow. Emmental is entirely produced by mechanical means in large dairy factories!

4. Mimolette – It is a pleasant mild cheese weighing in at 3Kg. It is orange coloured with a gray rind. It closely resembles the Dutch Commissie. It is produced in the northern part of France.

5. Maroilles – Named after its town, Maroilles is made in Northern France along the border with Belgium. It is in existence since the 12^th century. The cheese is allowed to mature for several months during which they are carefully washed and turned. Maroilles is a square cheese with a reddish rind and the paste being pale soft and salty. It has a strong and powerful flavour. It is slightly salted.

6. Reblochon – It is a mountain cheese from the Swiss border area of France. It is matured in caves. It has a drak, yellow coloured rind. The rich unskimmed milk is processed immediately after milking and when the milk is still warm. This gives it characteristic flavour and taste.
7. Laguiole sometimes called Tome de Laguiole, is a French cheese from the plateau of Aubrac, situated at between 800 - 1500m, in the region of Aveyron in the southern part of France. It takes its name from the little villageLaguiole and has been protected under the French Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) since 1961 and by the amended decree in 1986. Laguiole is said to have been invented at a monastery in the mountains of Aubrac in the 19th century. According to historical accounts, the monks passed down the recipe for making this cheese from cattle during the alpages to the local buronniers, the owners of burons, or mountain huts. Today, Laguiole is made in three different départements: Aveyron, Cantal and Lozère by the coopérative Jeune Montagne. They are the only ones who are licensed to produce this cheese. With a 45% fat content, Laguiole has a pressed, uncooked paste made exclusively from raw, unpasteurized French Simmental or Aubrac cow's milk collected between May and October at more than 800m altitude. 666 tonnes were produced in 1998 (-9.14% since 1996) from 20,000 - 30,000 litres of milk furnished from 79 different farms. The Tome weighs 40-50kg and is distinguished by a bull sign and its name stamped on the rind, as well as by an aluminium identification plaque. Its production process starts with renneting before the curd is pressed in two consecutive stages. Maturing takes at least six months and may be as long as twelve months. The rind is natural and thick, the straw-coloured paste supple and firm, and the texture rich and creamy.

8. Ossau-Iraty is produced in south-western France in the Northern Basque Country and in Béarn. It has been recognized as an appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) since 1980. It is one of only two sheep's milk cheeses granted AOC status in France. Although the cheese received AOC status in the 80s, it is of ancient origin, traditionally made by the shepherds in the region
9. Picodon is a goats-milk cheese made in the region around the Rhône river in southern France. The name means "spicy" in occitan language. The cheese itself comes in a number of varieties, each small, flat and circular in shape varying from speckled white to golden in colour. Between 5 and 8 centimetres in diameter and between 1.8 and 2.5 centimetres in height, they range from around 40 to 100 grams. The pâte of the cheese is spicy and unusually dry, whilst retaining a smooth, fine texture. Whilst young the cheese has a soft white rind and has a gentle, fresh taste. If aged for longer, the cheese can lose half of its weight resulting in a golden rind with a much harder centre and a more concentrated flavour.

10. Vieux Lille – It is a type of Maroilles where the cheese is matured for 5 to 6 months in very moist cellars. by this time the Vieux Lille turns liquid and might be considered over ripe. It has a pronounced ripe flavour and the aroma is that of somewhat ammonia.

11. Boulette d’ Avesnes – It is a small farm house cheese made in Avesnes. It is made up of buttermilk curds with finely chopped herbs. It is ripenend for three months. It has a crumbly texture and has a very sharp first taste.

Blue Cheeses –

1. Bleu d'Auvergne – It is a dairy cheese which comes from more or less the same area as Cantal. The cheese is flat and is cylindrical and weighs up to 3Kg. It has a refined taste and a special bouquet. It is said to stimulate appetite. As the cheese is small, not much milk is required. Farmers these days use Penicillium glaucum to make this cheese like Roquefort. Deep cooled evening milk of high quality is used for this cheese. It is mixed with morning milk and heated. After the curd is set in mold, the Penicillium glaucum is sprayed over it. After washing and turning of four days, the cheeses are sent to salt rooms where they are stored at 10C Here they are rubbed with salt and pricked with needles to encourage mold formation. They are kept like this for 4 weeks. Once the green veins are visible they are packed off in metal foil and stored for a few weeks at 2C.

2. Bleu des Causses – It is a blue veined cheese which ripens in natural caves in the manner of Roquefort. It is found everywhere in the Auvergne. It’s taste depends on grazing conditions, including the composition of local soil and the hours of sunshine in summer.

3. Bleu de Laqueuille – It is produced in the region of Puy – de – Dome. This cheeses has a drier rind and a less distinct flavour than the others mentioned. It possesses attractive veining. The latter is attributed to Antoine Roussel who dipped a piece of mouldy bread from his home kitchen into the curds and subsequently produced a famous blue cheese.

4. Bleu de Gex – It is a famous blue veined cheese from the Haute Jura region. They are an ancient variety previously made in small huts in the mountains but now in co-operative dairy farms.

5. Bleu de Septomoncel – This like the one above comes from the Haute Jura region and is a famous cheese from that region.

6. Bleu de Sassenage – is a mild pasteurized natural rind cow's milk blue cheese originally produced by monks in the Rhône-Alpes region of France in the 14th century. Now made in the Dauphiné area, the cheese has been a protected Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée since 1998^[1]. As a requirement, the cheese be composed of milk from Montbéliard, Abondance or Villard cows. The cheese is unpressed and uncooked and contains the mold Penicillium roqueforti. In Larousse's Grand Dictionnaire Universel of the 19th century, King Francis I is described as being quite fond of the cheese.

7. Roquefort – It is described as a noble cheese delicately veined, and marbled with a bluish green mold. Roquefort comes from the area south of Massif Central and East of Gorges du Tarn. In the village of Roquefort – sur – Soulzon, there are remains of a mountain which collapsed due to weakening by rainwater and hollowing. Now cracks have formed due to which natural chimneys have formed for the underground caves for circulation for fresh air. Thus there is a micro climate of a unique type in the caves now. It is here that Penicllium roqueforti develops. The milk of Lacaune sheep is used to make Roquefort. Roquefort is then covered with a thin layer of salt, brushed and pricked. After some time it is wrapped up in foil to speed up the ripening. Roquefort weighs in at 2.7Kg. and is cylindrical in shape. The paste is crumbly and blue green veins are present. It is a great ewe cheese with high flavours and a noble aroma.

8. Bleu de Bresse – It comes from the meadows between Saone and Jura. It is almost like a much milder form of Gorgonzola.

Vernon Coelho

ihm mumbai

2009-2010

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