(21) A family story, a cheese history.

The sixth best loved cheese in France is the second most sold from the Jura area of France. It is called Morbier and has a specific look combined with a wonderful soft and creamy taste (with much more to it of course).

An old farm in the mountains of Jura, France

A long time ago I went camping in the fields of Longchaumois, the birth town of my mother. And we were staying, the whole family: parents with sister and me at the time, not far from the ancestral farm built in 1696. This seventeenth century building represented, and still does by the way but was transformed by the current owners, a typical farm of the area as used in the eighteenth century and up to the middle early twentieth century. It is true that modernity tended to reach these mountains a bit later than in the plains. This maybe why the building was organised like a typical farm of the area, very utilitarian and poor in comfort.

The building is tall, this is because when winter arrives it needs to allow for the weight of the snow, and for the depth that the snow creates on top of the soil. From the north end the animal feed is stored for the winter months, then you would find the large equipment with wheels by the door which is at a good height because of the problem from before.

Then you would find wood and any other things that can be stored almost outside but kept safe inside for human use. The next part is built with care, it is where you find the animals kept safe inside when cold. Most of the time in these kinds of buildings, the animals are kept on the ground on one side of the building with opposite the dairy. Cheese is prepared there with a cellar adjacent and the dairy touches the outside wall and the ground in order to keep the temperature as constant as possible.

The last part of the building is for the humans. At ground level you find the pantry and a place where small hand carried equipment can be left, as well as outside gear and heavy clothing and garments. One the first floor you find the communal room with a chimney. Sometimes this is at ground level and is the kitchen, however, it is supposed to be at the first floor for the heat goes up and at the next level you can find bedrooms. Bedrooms can be found as well behind the communal room, and depending on the size of the family, older persons will be kept nearer to the source of heat, and then there will be less draft there as well.

Due to the fact that the building is placed at the border of a light forest, many small animals benefit from the industry of the humans. Mouses and other wild creatures enjoy the animal feed kept inside during winter, whatever you do this is a fact of life in the countryside.

Our cheese of choice today, Morbier, is a typical Jura farmer’s product. The cheese was prepared first at the arrival of the animals, or at the usual time in the evening, and then ashes from the chimney was spread on top of the fresh curds. This was very important as to protect the new product from all the animals talked about before…

Thus the Morbier came to exist with its typical and special look, like most things associated with farmers this was practical, there was a definite reason behind it.

Please find below some information about Morbier PDO.

History

From the fifteenth century people of the Jura were making Comté currently and had the habit of making a soft cheese when possible or due to the inclement weather. In the eighteenth century the Morbier was known in Paris, but there is no record of when the cheese was started. The first dated record is from 1795 and mention a “petit morbier”, however, in 1799 another document describes the cheese more precisely. My mother family is from the area, and the cheese was made in the old days, the farm was built in 1696. It was said that once the cows had settled in their shed part of the farm and had been milked, the lady of the house would have made dinner and the family ate. Then the milk was curdled and then moulded. The family activities of the evening were resumed, very often to do with wood work at first, and then the fresh cheese was covered with the ashes available. The following morning the cheese was finished with the second part obtained from the morning’s milking. The excess ash would be removed, these were used to protect the half-made cheese during the night from rodent and other animals. This cheese was created from the necessity of the land, and it is a story from the perseverance and ingenuity of the people of the area. The cheese was recognised by AOP in 2000, after a 14 years wait, and then granted European PDO status in 2009.

Area of production

The area of production of Morbier is in the east part of France, in the Franche-Comté region. It comprises the whole of the department of Doubs (25 -573 communes), almost all of the department of Jura (39 -483), except in the south-west of Dole, with some of the department of Ain (01 -16) on the south of it near Geneva, and a few communes in the Saône-et-Loire department (71 -13) touching the Jura. The area is homogenous and is based on the Jura Mountains, with plains on the west and many plateaux from 700 metres high and going as high as 1720 in the south. The climate is continental, harsh winters with many places renowned for the snow and good summers, and with high rainfall throughout the year. The flora is varied with many forests of spruce trees and wildflowers, including gentian, and the whole area is particularly well suited to grazing fields with high yield grass of excellent quality. The whole of the cheese industry in the region is based on preservation of the ecosystem. It is particularly pleasant when the rest of France is very hot!

Method of production

The milk is obtained from Montbeliarde or French Simmental cows benefiting from 1 hectare of pastureland each at least. There are many regulations concerning the wellbeing of the animals and of the land in the respect of local customs and of the environment, extensive regulations cover the alimentation. Milking has to be done twice a day in a regular manner, if one is missed it is not collected. To make the cheese a mix of two consecutive milking is used. When the milk is stored at the farm it should be kept at below 18oc. Cheese making starts in the morning with milk obtained at the earliest the morning of the preceding day, and in the evening if from the preceding evening. In case of very inclement weather and roads cut due to it, an exceptional delay is possible. The milk is only used raw with a possible natural skimming. Indigenous lactic ferments are used to mature the milk before it is warmed up briefly to 40oc. The milk is then coagulated with calf’s rennet and the mix has to be kept below 45oc throughout. Once the curd mass has been obtained, it is cut down to the size of a cherry, and then the mix is kneaded to firm up the grains. At that stage an addition of at least 6 % of water is done to lower the acidity with further kneading. The mix is then moulded and lightly pressed first time. At this stage the fresh first cheese is then cut in half, and then vegetal charcoal is layered in between the two blocks. A casein label is affixed on the rind with the number of department and dairy below morbier, a horizontal line, the day and month of coagulation. Then the cheese is moulded and pressed, traditional wooden moulds are authorised, and salting can be done either by immersion either by dry salt. It is then transferred to the maturing cellar for a minimum of 45 days at between 7 to 15oc, the cheese is laid on wooden planks. The cheese is washed and brushed with water or brine, containing indigenous ferments and is turned regularly. It is possible to use mechanical aids within the maturing cellar. The cheese is checked organoleptically and visually before commercialisation for conformity to the standards required.

Taste and description

It is a nice, large, and flat wheel with a light sweet dairy aroma and the typical dark line just off the centre of the cheese when cut. It is supple, almost elastic, and you can feel it when you cut the cheese, as well as the stickiness of the paste. There are a few eyes through the paste but no cracks at all. The taste is sweet, fruity, and lightly nutty with a hint of caramel and toasting with vanilla nuances. The best product has an herbal quality and gives a spicy finish. You need to be careful when you select you cheese, make sure that the paste is well elastic and moist.

Safe keeping

to be consumed within a week, wrap tightly in cling film or use cheese paper and wrap in cling film, and keep in refrigerator.

Statistics

1000000ha production in 2005; 2 farm, 26 cooperative, 13 industrial producers; 53 affineurs, 7000 tonnes (2005), 6938t (2006), 7638t including 10t (2009), 9732t (2016), 10530t incl. 53t (2017), 10505t incl. 59t (2018), 10768t incl. 50t (2019).

And remember, give life to your taste buds, and above all, enjoy real cheese.