Beaufort Cheese
Photo: flickr user ohadweb
About
Beaufort is a hard, sharp cheese made from cow's milk similar to Gruyère. It is produced in the French Alps in the Savoie region of France. There are three varieties of Beaufort: Beaufort de Savoie (or summer Beaufort), Beaufort dlpage (made in chalets in the Alps), Beaufort d'hiver (winter Beaufort)
Information
Other names: Beaufort D’alpage, Beaufort De Savoie, Beaufort D'hiver
Translations: Beaufort Siers, Beaufort Sūriai, Beaufort Brânză, Beaufort sira, Beaufort kaas, ब्यूफोर्ट पनीर, Beaufort Queijo, Сыр Бофор, Beaufort Τυρί, بوفورت الجبن, 보퍼트 치즈, Beaufort Sýry, Beaufort Keju, 博福特奶酪, Beaufort Formatge, Beaufort Sir, Beaufort Syry, Formaggio di Beaufort, בופור גבינה, Beaufort Ost, Бофор сир, ボーフォートチーズ, Beaufort Fromage, Beaufort-Käse, Beaufort Queso, Сир Бофор, Beaufort Juusto, Beaufort сирене
Physical Description
The cheese is smooth and non-porous with a soft but still semi-hard texture.
Colors: Pale white, Yellow or creamy colored
Tasting Notes
Flavors: floral, salty, buttery
Mouthfeel: Smooth, Creamy
Food complements: Dessert, Salmon, Quiche, Foudue, Bread, Fruit
Wine complements: White wine
Beverage complements: Belgian ale
Substitutes: Gruyere, Comte, Emmentel
Selecting and Buying
Seasonality: june, july, august, september, opctober, november, december
Peak: june, july, august
Choosing: Summer Beaufort, which is called Beaufort de Savoie, is the most popular type of this cheese. Summer Beaufort has a richer creamier color and a richer taste than the other styles of the same cheese. Look for the cheese to be firm to the touch and free of residue.
Buying: You can recognize this cheese by the concave heel embedded onto its surface.
Procuring: The cheese has strong floral notes from Tarantaise cows who are milked in the summer that develops as the cheese ripens.
Preparation and Use
Use this cheese in cheese platters, dessert platters and in cheese fondue.
Cleaning: Remove any casing the cheese is in.
Conserving and Storing
Store the cheese in a cool place like a cellar or the refrigerator.