December is a month of good cheer for food lovers in France with plenty of festive specialities on the cards.
The start of the new month also means a number of new cheeses come into season or are at their best time to eat.
Similarly to fruit and vegetables many cheeses are best in season at certain times of the year. Online cheesemonger la boite du fromager produces a list of those from which to choose each month.
December is the first month for ‘winter’ cheeses ending an autumnal dominance of unpasteurised cow cheeses.
“As it is cold in winter and daylight ends faster the animals [used to produce cheese] are returned to the barn. There they are fed hay meaning their milk is less aromatic and less rich,” the cheesemonger says.
As a result “the cheeses to turn to in the middle of winter are those with a long maturing period, whose maturity comes to an end in winter,” and whose production began long ago.
Best December cheeses
Brocciu
Recommendations start with brocciu, perhaps lesser known than other entrants further down on the list.
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As the name suggests this is a Corsican cheese. It is made from either sheep or goat milk and has had AOC status in France since 1983.
It is a low-lactose relative of Italian ricotta and synonymous with the island where it is present in many dishes.
The cheese is popular around this time of year due to its extremely short aging period – a maximum of one month, but often it is not aged at all.
This timeframe means the cheese benefits from the animals catching the tail end of warm weather grazing on the island.
Only around 400 tonnes of the cheese is made each year which can make it challenging to find.
A good cheesemonger should have a few boutons, particularly those based in the south-east of France.
Brocciu can be served on its own as well as be incorporated in a number of iconic Corsican dishesFoodpictures/Shutterstock
Salers
If you are still looking for an unpasteurised cows milk cheese to eat in the winter months, Salers is a good choice.
Produced in the Auvergne area Salers is the cousin of the better-known Cantal cheese and is produced by Salers cows.
While Cantal is produced from the hay cows which are fed during winter months (and therefore is most prominent on shelves in summer), Salers is produced by the same cows but from their summer graze on pastures (between April 15 and November 15).
It became well known after a duke – Henri de Saint-Nectaire – brought the cheese to the court of Louis XIV. He also brought the Cantal and his namesake, Saint-Nectaire, cheeses to national prominence at this time.
Unlike Cantal cheese, which is usually matured for between 1 and 6 months, Salers is matured for longer, between three and 45 months.
A specific type of the cheese called Salers de Buron Traditional is matured in traditional stone huts of the Auvergne area.
Around 1,400 tonnes of the cheese is derived from less than 4,000 cows.
Salers is similar to Cantal, and is made from the same cows in the Auvergne areaFoodpictures/Shutterstock
Pont l’Evêque
Among the better known dairy products in France Pont l’Evêque is a cheese made from cow milk from Normandy. It is often, but not always, pasteurised.
Produced since at least the 12th century, it usually comes in a distinctive square shape and along with camembert is synonymous with the Norman region.
La boite du fromager says its taste is “indicative of Normandy… light and creamy, with distinct flavours of the region. Buttery, milky, with a hint of hazelnut.”
At longer periods of maturation the cheese has a stronger but not overpowering aroma.
Around 3,500 tonnes of the cheese is produced each year, principally by major industrial producers.
Only 2% of all Pont l’Evêque cheeses are made by artisanal producers.
The cheese is best consumed after a meal with a glass of red wine.
Pont l’Evêque cheese usually comes in an iconic square shapeJPC-PROD/Shutterstock
Parmesan
A rare non-French cheese completes the list in the form of parmesan.
One of the best known cheeses worldwide, some 3.6 million wheels of parmesan are made each year in Italy, using about one-fifth of all milk produced in the country.
In Europe, the cheese benefits from protected status and can only be made in certain areas of northern Italy.
Cheese not produced via the official method cannot be called either Parmigiano Reggiano (anywhere in the world) or parmesan in Europe.
Parmesan is usually grated and is used in pasta, salad, and soup dishes, giving a distinctive sharp, savoury and nutty flavour.
The wheels are soaked in a brine made with Mediterranean sea salt which helps provide part of the flavour profile.
Despite a crumbly texture, it can also be eaten in slices or chunks on its own after a meal, or accompanied with bread.
In 2023, the cheese was controversially voted the world's best in 2023.
