July French Cheese Subscription Box
Don your favourite striped t-shirt, pop on a beret and grab a baguette because July is all about celebrating all things French. France boasts over 1,000 distinct types of cheese and this month we want to share four of our favourites in our July Cheese Subscription Box.
Get ready to enjoy a bold camembert, a rich and meaty washed rind, a classic Alpine-style Comté and a raw ewes milk blue all from France’s top producers.
Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité, Fromagerie!
LE CONQUÉRANT CAMEMBERT - SELECTED BY WILL STUDD
Cow milk - Normandy region, France
Le Conquérant Camembert shows all the characteristics of its famous cousin - authentic Camembert de Normandie made with raw milk. Will Studd has worked with the producers to develop this pasteurised version just for the Australian market. It is the special blend of cheesemaking cultures which produces flavours and aromas that come very close to its famous cousin.
The camembert’s very bold flavour, reminiscent of cooked cauliflower, wet straw, salami and truffle, is not for the faint-hearted. The texture features a traditional line of chalk through the centre when young, which develops to a deliciously fudgy texture when ripe. It is common to find beige or reddish spots under the fluffy rind, particularly when fully mature.
Goes well with: crusty baguette, cornichons, apple
Drink suggestions: Normandy cider, a farmhouse ale or even some Gamay or Pinot Noir
ÉPOISSES DE BOURGOGNE AOC
Cow milk - Burgundy region, France
Époisses de Bourgogne is (in)famous for its pungent aroma and sticky terracotta-coloured rind. The underlying paste has a smooth, velvety texture with a meaty flavour that melts in the mouth. During maturation, Époisses de Bourgogne is washed in the local Marc de Bourgogne, mixed with salty water, several times per week. It tastes milder than the aroma suggests, and has a decidedly sweet finish.
This cheese was created by Cistercian monks during the early 16th century in the village of Époisses, in Burgundy. On fast days, the monks were forbidden meat and on Fridays they ate fish. Washed rind cheese became an important part of their diet due to its strong, meaty flavours.
Goes well with: baguette, pear, almonds
Drink suggestions: Red Burgundy, Pinot Noir or Chardonnay, off-dry Riesling, Champagne or sparkling wine, Marc de Bourgogne
MARCEL PETITE COMTÉ - AOC
Cow milk (raw), Franch-Comté region, France
Marcel Petite Comté AOC is selected by one of the most respected affineurs in France. Each year, just a few wheels of Comte are chosen by Fromageries Marcel Petite to bear the prestigious red crown of quality (matured for more complex flavour characteristics). All cheeses are hand-selected then aged under a cold maturation system in the 19th century underground Fort of Saint-Antoine high in the mountains of the French/Swiss border. They have a rich concentrated nutty texture & a gentle caramel sweet honey flavour reflecting the rich milk of the Montbéliard cattle that graze the natural mountain pasture.
Comté is an ancient type of Gruyère, similar to the large mountain cheeses made in the Alps, on the borders of France & Switzerland. Comté now represents the largest volume of all the cheeses produced in the AOP system.
Did you know it takes more than 500L of milk which is the daily production of 30 cows to make just one wheel of Comté?
Goes well with: cornichons, cured meats, nuts
Drink suggestions: wines of the Jura or Chardonnay, dry sherry
PAPILLON ROQUEFORT
Ewe milk - Midi-Pyrénées region, France
Papillon Roquefort is one of the world’s greatest blue cheeses with its name and production methods protected since 1411. This pedigree ensures that it is made with only raw ewe/sheep milk and aged in the natural microclimate of the Combalou caves, near the village of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon.
With its rich creamy texture, strong aromas, and lingering sweet-salty finish, it’s no wonder this benchmark cheese is often referred to as the ‘King of French Cheeses.
Goes well with: pear, rye bread, walnuts, fig paste
Drink suggestions: Sauternes or other ‘sticky’ dessert wines
About the Harper & Blohm cheese subscriptions
Our monthly cheese subscription is a carefully selected box of cheese with tasting notes delivered straight to your door. We offer 1, 3, 6, or 12-month subscriptions starting at $95 a month including delivery. Delivery via our refrigerated courier is available across Melbourne & selected areas of regional Victoria.
Orders for our July Cheese Subscription Box close at 5pm Friday 24th June for delivery on Friday 1st July.
Order your July Subscription here
