Munster PDO - History and Secrets of the King of Alsatian Cheeses

Monastic Origins - the Clearing Monks of the Valley

The history of Munster begins in the 7th century, in the deeply incised valleys of the Alsatian Vosges. Irish and Benedictine monks, drawn by the solitude of the Vosges forests, settled there and cleared the hillsides to create alpine pastures. It is in this context that Munster cheese was born - Munster itself deriving from the Latin Monasterium, the monastery. The monks made this cheese for their own consumption and as a medium of exchange with the local population. They progressively refined the ageing techniques, notably the technique of washing the rind with brine that gives the cheese its so characteristic orange crust.

Over the centuries, Munster production left the monasteries and became a major economic activity for the entire valley. The cheese merchants of Alsace and Lorraine competed for the trade of this cheese renowned throughout the Rhine region.

The Munster Valley - an Exceptional Terroir

Munster owes its incomparable qualities to the exceptional terroir of the Munster valley in the Haut-Rhin. This deeply incised east-west oriented valley benefits from a humid and mild microclimate that encourages the growth of a rich and varied grass. The dairy cows - mainly of the Vosgian breed, a local breed perfectly adapted to mountain terrain - graze on flower-rich alpine pastures where grasses, clovers, yarrows and hundreds of other aromatic plants grow. It is this botanical diversity of the pasture that gives the milk its particular aromatic richness and, consequently, the cheese its so complex and distinctive aromas.

The Vosges high pastures - those grassy high plateaux above 900 metres altitude - form the heart of the production zone. In summer, the cows move up to alpine farms in traditional farm-inns called marcairies, where milk is transformed into cheese according to ancestral methods.

The PDO - Protecting a Heritage

Munster obtained its Controlled Designation of Origin in 1969, becoming one of the first French cheeses to benefit from this protection. The PDO - Protected Designation of Origin, European designation - precisely defines the geographical production zone, the authorised cow breeds, the production and ageing methods, and the organoleptic characteristics of the cheese. This protection made it possible to safeguard traditional production in the face of competition from industrial cheeses.

The PDO zone covers the Bas-Rhin and Haut-Rhin departments on the Alsatian side, and the Vosges on the Lorraine side - for Munster-Géromé (named after the town of Gérardmer in Lorraine) has benefited from the same designation since the outset. This cheese is therefore both Alsatian and Lorraine.

Production - from Raw Milk to Aged Cheese

Making a genuine farmhouse Munster is an artisan process requiring skill and patience:

• The milk: raw cow's milk is the basis of farmhouse Munster. Pasteurised milk is used for dairy Munster - connoisseurs greatly prefer raw milk for the richness of its aromas
• Renneting: the milk is heated to 32-34°C and natural rennet is added. The curd forms in 30 to 60 minutes
• Moulding: the curd is cut, stirred and poured into characteristic cylindrical moulds. Draining lasts several hours
• Salting: the cheeses are salted on the surface or in brine
• Ageing: the key step. The cheeses are placed in humid cellars and turned regularly. They are washed with brine - sometimes flavoured with caraway - several times a week. These repeated washings cause the orange pigments to migrate to the surface and develop the characteristic aromas. Ageing lasts from 3 weeks for small Munsters to 3 months for the largest

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The Characteristics of Munster - Recognising a True Munster

A genuine Munster PDO is recognisable by several characteristics:

• Shape: cylindrical, with a diameter of 13 to 19 cm for large Munster, 7 to 12 cm for small
• The rind: smooth, orange to red-orange in colour, moist and shiny - a sign of correct ageing
• The paste: supple and creamy, ivory to pale yellow in colour. It should be homogeneous, without excessive holes or cracks. The texture should be melting, never rubbery
• The aroma: powerful and characteristic, with animal notes, forest floor and spices. The aroma is often stronger than the actual flavour - which pleasantly surprises novices
• The taste: mild and creamy on the palate, despite the powerful aroma. Notes of butter, hazelnut and spices develop progressively

Munster in Alsatian Gastronomy

Beyond the cheese board, Munster integrates into many Alsatian recipes. Melted in the oven over steamed potatoes, incorporated into a revisited tarte flambée, used to gratin Schniederspaetzle or melted in a pan with caraway - its culinary possibilities are endless. For wine pairings, Gewurztraminer - and in particular Gewurztraminer Vendanges Tardives - constitutes the traditional and unsurpassable pairing. Its roundness, sweetness and aromas of rose and lychee create a remarkable dialogue with the power of the Munster.

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