A soft-hearted artisanal cheese from the Neufchâtel district in Normandie, closely related to Camembert in its texture and taste so you may actually prefer Neufchâtel with its slightly more distinct taste and deeper rind.
Neufchâtel will surprise you with its heart shape, appreciated by all cheese lovers, a nod to Saint Valentine's Day because the young women of Neufchâtel-en-Bray offered this cheese to their gallant knights during the Hundred Years War. Monks preferred to say that it represented the wings of an angel, regardless it remains a lovers dream.
Covered with a white bloomy rind, the paste (known as "moussée") has a grainy texture with an aroma of mushrooms. The flavor is dominated by a distinct salty taste that is an integral part of its character. Neufchâtel is enjoyable at many stages of maturation as its flavor evolves from delicate and herbal to strong and fruity.
A close cousin of Camembert in texture and taste. Some prefer it more mature, with a fuller-bodied taste and a dark gold rind.
Neufchâtel cheese is a soft, spreadable cheese that's used in many ways, including:
Neufchâtel is a versatile cheese that originated in France. It's sometimes called "farmer's" cheese and is similar to cream cheese, but with a little more tang. You can often substitute Neufchâtel for cream cheese in recipes.
To store soft cheese after opening, rewrap the unused portion tightly in its original foil, then place it in an airtight container or resealable plastic bag to remove as much air as possible and keep refrigerated.
Neufchâtel is the oldest of the Norman cheeses, having likely been made as early as the 6th century and known to have been made between 1050 and 1543. For the end-of-year festivals during the Hundred Years' War, stories say that young girls offered heart-shaped cheeses to English soldiers to show their affection. During the 17th century it was sent to Paris and Rouen, and exported to Great Britain.
In 1880 Isidore Lefebvre, a farmer, constructed a dairy in Nesle-Hodeng, where he could mould and ripen cheese curds made by farmers in the surrounding area. Among Lefebvre's distributors were stores such as Harrods.
A quality label was granted for Neufchâtel from 1949 to 1953. In 1957 the agricultural assembly of the Neufchâtel district created a federation for protecting the quality of the cheese, working to demand an appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC, "controlled designation of origin"). This was put into law May 3rd, 1969, and modified December 29th, 1986. The AOC was reviewed again in 2006 under higher scrutiny, requiring that 65% of a manufacturer's cows be of the Normande breed.
Production of the cheese decreased after World War II. In 1993 there were 31 farms and one factory producing 45% of all Neufchâtel.
Milk | Cow |
---|---|
Texture | Soft |
Country | France |
Pronunciation | noof · shuh · tel |