Morbier cheese
Semi-soft French cheese
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Morbier (French pronunciation: [mɔʁbje] ⓘ) is a semi-soft cows' milk cheese of France named after the small village of Morbier in Franche-Comté.[3] It is ivory colored, soft and slightly elastic, and is immediately recognizable by the distinctive thin black layer separating it horizontally in the middle.[3] It has a yellowish, sticky rind.[2]
| Morbier | |
|---|---|
| |
| Country of origin | France |
| Region, town | Franche-Comté, Morbier[1] |
| Source of milk | Cows[1] |
| Pasteurized | Depends on variety |
| Texture | Semi-soft |
| Fat content | 45% |
| Aging time | 45 days to 3 months |
| Certification | Protected Designation of Origin,[2] French AOC for both Morbier Jura and Morbier Doubs |
| Named after | Morbier |
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Description
Preparation
Traditionally, the cheese consists of a layer of evening milk curd and a layer of morning milk curd.[3] When making Comté, cheesemakers would end the day with leftover curd that was not enough for an entire cheese.[3] Thus, they would press the remaining evening curd into a mold, and spread ash over it to protect it overnight.[3] The following morning, the cheese would be topped with morning milk curd.[3] The layer of ash is left in place in between the layers of milk.[1]
Today, it is typically prepared in factories and larger dairy cooperatives from one batch of milk, with the traditional ash line replaced by edible commercial vegetable ash.[1][3][7]
See also
- List of French cheeses
- List of cheeses
- Humboldt Fog, an American cheese with an ash line inspired by Morbier
