Cheese Seasons

It is easy to forget that cheese is a product of the land and is therefore seasonal, just like fruit and vegetables. For example, although cows are milked all year round, cheeses made with cow’s milk can vary in flavour depending on the quality of the pasture the cows are feeding on.

Certain cheeses come and go as the seasons change, depending on the effects of the weather on the soil and pastures that the animals then graze on. Although most cheeses can be enjoyed throughout the year, some are sublime at particular times and best enjoyed then.

LATE SPRING TO EARLY AUTUMN

I believe that this is the best season for cheese production, as the temperature means the cows and goats are grazing on pastures of flowers and herbs. Most cheeses are at their prime between April and November.

At this time of the year, cows and goats move to higher ground, where the climate is dry and the earth is rich, enabling flowers to grow. These lush pastures result in the animals producing excellent-quality milk, the flavours natural and fruity. This period is when some of my favourite cheeses are produced.

LATE AUTUMN TO EARLY SPRING

The seasonality of cheese can also depend on the animals themselves: some do not cope well with cold winters and are moved inside for shelter. They are fed on a silage-based diet, which does affect the taste of the milk they produce. This isn’t to say that these cheeses are not fantastic – two multi-award-winning cheeses, Camembert and Pont L’Évêque, are both produced during the winter months, when the cows are being fed on a maize (corn) diet. These cheeses, justifiably, are firm favourites during the Christmas period all over the world.

Another good example is the king of seasonal cheese, vacherin mont d’or, from Haute-Savoie, an incredibly indulgent runny and soft cheese, with a rich, nutty taste, excellent for fondues. This cheese is only available from September to March, but it really is worth the wait.

CHEESE FROM THE MOUNTAINS

When I think of incredible French cheeses, I think of the artisanal cheeses of the Alps and Pyrenees. These are perfect examples of seasonal cheeses: in the summer the herds move up to the flower-filled fields of the high mountains and eat their fill of fragrant grasses. As soon as the first snow starts to fall, the herds begin to make their way down the mountain, and the milking and cheesemaking processes continues as they descend. When they arrive at lower ground, it is winter and the cows are kept in sheds; the winter cheeses that are produced have a very different flavour. These full, nutty, rich cheeses are still highly sought after.