Comté (pronounced Cohm-tay) is a hard paste, unpasteurised, alpine cheese from the French Jura, in the mountains at the border with Switzerland. Comté was one of the first cheeses to gain AOC status in 1958. One stipulation of the appellation is that for each hectare of land farmed there must be no more than 1.3 cows. The name Comté started commonly being used in 1924, but the cheese has been depicted in old texts as early as 1380. In 1678, Louis XIV conquered Franche-Comté and the region was depopulated. A number of Swiss people left the Gruyere region, taking with them the knowledge and methods that would lead to what Comté production is today.

Comte has pale yellow paste and a dusty brown rind. Depending on the age of the cheese, the taste can be nutty, fruity, savoury, sweet and smokey. The texture of extra mature Comté, over 20 months, becomes more dense and crystalline. The taste intensifies with age and rich flavours like browned butter and toffee develop. 

Ingredients : Milk (Cow's), Salt, Traditional rennet. Unpasteurised.

Allergens : Milk