The oldest written description of Tête de Moine AOP dates from 1628. Already in those days it was pointed out that a fatty milk of excellent quality from the country’s best grasses and pastures had to be used to produce it.
I've always loved a cheese that bites back, and Tête de Moine has never disappointed. It’s strong and sweet, with a surprisingly fudgy texture. This “monk head” cheese from the Jura Mountains is traditionally shaved from a small two-pound wheel using a special cheese curler called a girolle.
- Tête De Moine originated eight centuries ago, when it was first created by Swiss monks at the Abbey de Bellelay in the Jura Mountains along the French-Swiss border.
- The recipe was shared with local farmers and then passed down through the generations.
- Made from cow’s milk, the cheese is contained within a sticky, orange rind that is washed in brine