Beaufort cheese

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Beaufort
Country of origin	France
Region, town	Savoie
Source of milk	Cows
Pasteurised	No
Texture	Firm
Dimensions	35 to 75cm, 11 to 16 cm concave heel
Weight	20 to 70 Kg
Aging time	12-15 months
Certification	French AOC 1967
Named after	Beaufort
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Beaufort (French pronunciation: [bo.fɔʁ] is a firm, raw cow's milk cheese from the gruyère family. An Alpine" cheese, it is produced in Beaufort which is located in the French Alps in the Savoie region of France.

There are three varieties of Beaufort:

• Beaufort de Savoie (or summer Beaufort)
• Beaufort d’alpage (made in chalets in the Alps)
• Beaufort d'hiver (winter Beaufort)

Beaufort cheese is prepared using 11 liters of milk for every 1 kg of cheese desired. The milk used in one variety comes from the Tarentaise or Abondance cows that graze in the Alps. First, the milk is heated and then the cheese is cast into its molds, pressed, and slated. The mold into which the Beaufort cheese is pressed lends a visually distinctive characteristic to Beaufort cheese: its concave rind. The cheese is smear-ripened to produce a stronger flavour and its rind color.^[1] The prepared cheese must then age for 6–12 months, or even longer, in a cool mountain cellar. During this period, the cheese takes on its yellow color and acquires much of its flavor.

Beaufort cheese lacks holes yet is similar to Gruyère, Comté, Vacherin Fribourgeois or Emmental, although slightly sharper in taste. Beaufort also has a very distinct aroma reminiscent of the pastures on which the Tarentaise and Abondance cows graze, which provide the cheese's milk.

Beaufort is commonly used to make cheese fondue because it melts easily. One of the many cheeses that go well with white wine, Beaufort is often enjoyed with fish, especially salmon.

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