Cantal cheese: calorie content, recipes, preparation. Encyclopedia of cheese What to cook with Cantal cheese

Cantal cheese, in terms of its properties, belongs to semi-hard or hard varieties and is of French origin.

By its taste, Cantal resembles, but stands out for its pronounced piquant and moderately pungent creamy taste, which only becomes richer with time. Cantal cheese, like the vast majority of noble French cheeses, has an official AOC certificate.

The presence of such a certificate means that Cantal cheese can be called a product that is produced in a certain area and has passed mandatory quality control by authorized state bodies.

Cantal is distinguished by a smooth, semi-hard, rather plastic ivory-colored pulp; with age, it darkens and acquires a golden hue. The aroma and taste traced delicious and rich fruit-nut tones.

Cantal cheese ripens in special storage facilities, in which a certain temperature regime and humidity level are maintained. Since Cantal cheese is produced in the mountains, the rather harsh climatic conditions of the region have influenced the cheese product. The inhabitants of Auvergne were stocking up on cheese for the winter, so the usual Canthal cheese head weighs 40 kg.

Currently, there are several varieties of Cantal cheese, which differ in taste, consumer characteristics, and method of production. Depending on the type of milk that is used in the cooking process, Cantal cheese is divided into:

• cantal Laitier cheese or mass version of the product, which is made from pasteurized cow's milk;
• cantal Fermier cheese or homemade farm product made from raw cow's milk.

It should be noted that for the preparation of both the first and second types of Cantal cheese, milk from cows of a certain Salerian breed is used. Depending on the ripening time, Cantal cheese is divided into the following types:

• young Cantal cheese Cantal jeune, which ripens no more than 2 months;
• medium and also gilded Cantal cheese Cantal doré aged 6 months;
• aged Cantal cheese Cantal vieux, which ripens throughout the year.

Cantal cheese is traditionally used for soups, salads, potato dishes and fondue. Cantal Fermier casings may contain the bacteria Listeria, as they are made from raw milk and therefore should not be eaten. In addition, it must be borne in mind that this cheese is not suitable for children, the elderly and people with immunodeficiency.

The benefits of Cantal cheese are due to the presence of vitamins and minerals. Vitamin A is part of this product, which is essential for vision. There is also potassium in this cheese, which is needed for the heart and blood vessels. Due to the presence of calcium and phosphorus, the process of regeneration and strengthening of bone tissue is activated.

In addition, Cantal cheese contains other substances that have a beneficial effect on the life of the body.

To choose a quality Cantal cheese, first of all, you need to pay attention to the labeling. If AOC is indicated on the product, then you can be sure of the quality of this cheese.

Cantal is a hard cheese made in the French province of Auvergne. Experts consider it one of the oldest cheeses in France. In 1980, canthal officially received the certification of conformity (AOC), which has a positive impact on the rate of its growth in popularity.

Description

The taste of the product resembles the well-known cheddar - the cheese has a creamy flavor with a slight pungency. The more canthal is infused, the tastier and, accordingly, more expensive it is.

When choosing a product in a store or on the market, the buyer should pay attention to the packaging - “AOC” should be written there. This indicates that the product has been certified.

It is also worth noting the useful properties of cantal. This cheese contains a fairly large amount of vitamins and minerals. For example, it contains vitamin A, which has a beneficial effect on vision. Thanks to calcium, the product improves the functioning of the heart and blood vessels, as well as strengthens and regenerates bone tissue.

Kinds

Experts classify cantal cheese according to the type of milk used, as well as the ripening time.

By the type of milk, it is divided into the following types:

1. Fermier - is made on a farm from raw cow's milk.
2. Laitier - produced in enterprises on a large scale. Pasteurized milk is used for production.

Regardless of the type of production, cheese undergoes strict quality control. For kanthal, only milk from Saler cows is used, which feed exclusively on hay from November 15 to April 15.

If the milk of such cows is obtained in the summer, then it is already used for the production of another type of cheese - salera.

Depending on the ripening time, cantal is:

1. Young - up to 2 months.
2. Medium - up to 6 months.
3. Aged - over 6 months.

Aged cheese makes up about 20% of the product produced. He has a sharp, specific taste and rarely travels outside the Auvergne.

Cantal cheese production

This is pressed, not boiled cheese, which is made only from high-quality cow's milk. A feature of its manufacture is the presence of pressing and forming processes. At the end, the canthal is placed in special storage facilities (or cellars), where a certain temperature and humidity are maintained.

At the start of production, cow's milk is mixed with rennet. About 30 ml are taken for 100 liters of milk. After the cheese has hardened, it is molded and sent under a strong press for 10 hours. At the end, the canthal is taken out of the molds and sent to ripening in specially equipped rooms.

Cheese enters the shops in cylindrical heads, the weight of which can vary from 7 to 10 kg. A properly made cantal will have a yellow mass with red dots and mold. The taste of the cheese is tender and soft, sometimes you can even feel the taste of grass.

Making cantal cheese at home

Making cheese yourself is not easy, but it is possible.

The recipe for cantal cheese is pretty simple. To make a delicious and high-quality product, you need:

1. In a water bath heat 8 liters of milk to a temperature of 32 degrees. While heating, pour in 8 ml of calcium chloride.
2. When the milk reaches the desired temperature, add 1/4 tsp into it. dry sourdough.
3. Remove the pan from heat and leave for 45 minutes.
4. Stir the milk and pour in 1/2 tsp. rennet.
5. Leave for another 35 minutes (during this time, milk coagulation occurs).
6. If the clot has not become dense enough, you can leave it for another 10-15 minutes.
7. After thickening, you need to cut the cheese mass into cubes with sides of 5-6 mm.
8. Place the cubes in a container and start stirring slowly for 20 minutes.
9. Place a colander over a sink and line the bottom with gauze. After that, put the cheese mass there and leave for 20 minutes.
10. Put the whey back in the water bath and sprinkle it with salt (needed to speed up the whey separation process).
11. Place the future cheese under a press for 30 minutes with a load of 9 kg.
12. Take out the product and leave it in the room for 8 hours or more (build-up of acidity of the product).
13. Cut the cheese into 5-6 mm cubes and place them under an 18 kg press for 2 hours.
14. Take the product out of the mold, wrap it in a cheese cloth and put it back under a press, but already under 28 kg for 48 hours, turning it over once every 12 hours.
15. After pressing, the canthal should be removed from the mold and placed in a room with a humidity of 80-85% and a temperature of 11-13 degrees for 2 or more months.

After completing the last point, you get a high-quality medium-aged cantal cheese.

Today we invite you to get acquainted with one of the oldest French varieties of cheese, which gained immense popularity thanks to Louis XIV. Cantal (French Cantal) is a hard cheese produced in the Cantal region. The variety was named after the Cantal Mountains (Auvergne region).

Cantal is one of the oldest cheeses in France. It is believed that they began to make it back in the time of the Gauls. The variety became popular thanks to King Louis XIV of France.

There are two types of Cantal cheese. Cantal Fermier (farmer) is made from raw milk. Cantal Laitier is a commercial mass-produced cheese made from pasteurized milk. Both varieties pass the same stringent quality controls. The head of Cantal cheese is in the shape of a cylinder, with a diameter of about 30 cm. Cantal is made from whole milk or pasteurized milk of Saler cows. For the production of Kanthal, exclusively milk from cows is used, which are fed with hay (strictly from November 15 to April 15). Salers cheese is made from the milk of the same cows, only obtained in the summer.

Semi-hard Cantal is aged for several months in massive forms. The pulp of this cheese is quite tender, and the taste, somewhat reminiscent of Cheddar, is quite spicy and pronounced. The longer the cheese is aged, the brighter the flavor becomes. Aged Cantal has a very rich flavor, while young cheese retains the sweetness of raw milk. Its aroma is saturated with earthy notes and conveys the richness of the Auvergne pastures, the birthplace of cheese.

Depending on the ripening period, there are three varieties of Kanthal:

• Cantal jeune or young Cantal (1-2 months)
• Cantal entre-deux or middle Cantal (2-6 months)
• Cantal vieux or aged Cantal (from 6 months)

All three varieties are available in farm or commercial cheese. The bulk of Kanthal (over 80%) are the first two varieties. Aged Cantal, subject to proper storage, does not deteriorate up to a year and a half. It is not produced in large quantities. Cantal vieux is the most popular in the Cantal region itself. Due to its peculiar taste, it is rarely exported, so this cheese can usually only be found in specialized stores.

Cantal cheese contains 45% fat. It is often used in soups, salads, cheese fondues, and casseroles. Cantal Fermier, like all raw milk products, may contain listeria (rod-shaped bacteria) in the crust, so it is best to cut it off. Also, cheese is not recommended for children, the elderly and people with low immunity.

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Cantal - hard cheese, one of the oldest cheeses produced in France. Cantal is certified by AOC (since 1956) and AOP (since 2009), which provides him with protection in the region of production: this cheese is allowed to be produced only in the department of Cantal, in French Auvergne. It is uncooked pressed cheese, which many call the French equivalent of Cheddar, but upon closer inspection, the differences in the taste and preparation process of these cheeses are quite significant. There are 2 varieties of this cheese: Cantal Fermier is a farm cheese produced by small farms from fresh raw milk, and Cantal Letier is a commercial version made from pasteurized milk. Since Cantal Fermier is made from raw milk, it should not be consumed by children and people with weakened immune systems, due to the danger of the presence of Listeria cheese in the crust (the crust of this cheese is usually cut off). Real Cantal is made only from the milk of Salers cows strictly from November 15 to April 15. In summer, the milk of these cows is used to produce semi-hard Saler cheese. The cheese crust is gray in young cheeses, turns yellow over time and acquires a golden brown hue in aged specimens. The color of the cheese dough also changes from light to deep yellow with age. An aluminum nameplate is attached to the crust of real Cantal, which is considered a quality mark of this cheese. Cantal ripens from two months to one and a half years, and on this basis is divided into 3 varieties:

• Cantal Jeune - young Cantal, up to 2 months of aging, has a mild milky sweetish taste
• Cantal Entre-deux (Cantal doré) - mature Cantal, aged 2-6 months, with a richer flavor, spicy notes and similarities to cheddar appear
• Cantal Vieux - old Cantal, aging from 6 months. This cheese is a real rarity, it is sold only 20% of the total volume of Kanthal. Cantal Vieux is usually not exported and can only be found in cheese boutiques in Auvergne. The taste of this cheese will be appreciated by real cheese gourmets: it is bright, spicy, with a distinct nutty flavor, and unique. This cheese will be a real highlight on any cheese plate, but it is not so easy to get it without visiting the Cantal region in Auvergne.

A bit of history

The history of Cantal cheese is almost two thousand years old and begins during the Gallic rule. This cheese got its name in honor of the Cantal Mountains, in which they began to make it. These places are distinguished by very fertile volcanic soil, capable of feeding large herds of local cows. Saler cows produce milk of excellent quality, and in rather large volumes, so the goal of the local farmers was to preserve it for as long as possible in order to provide themselves with food throughout the year. As a result, huge heads of Cantal cheese appeared, reaching 50 kg and sometimes ripening up to one and a half years. A smaller version of this cheese, Cantale, weighs up to 10 kg.

Soft cheese with white noble mold crust. Made from cow's milk. Named for the Brie region east of Paris.

Now in France, several dozen subspecies of brie are produced, and not only in the Ile-de-France (Paris region), but also in other parts of the country.

Only two subspecies are protected by the AOC system: Brie de Meaux and Brie de Melun. Both of these subspecies are far from widespread, it can be problematic to buy them.

Brie de Meaux is traditionally made in large circles: diameter 35 centimeters, thickness 3 centimeters, weight 2.8-3 kilograms. The volume of production is only 6-7 thousand tons.

Brie de Melun is even less common, with an annual production of only about 250 tons per year. It is better to find such cheese in cheese boutiques.

Brie de Melun is made in circles: with a diameter of about 27 centimeters, weight - about 1.5 kilograms. Brie de Melun is distinguished by a crust with red patches.

An even more rare option is Brie de Melun in the form of Brie Noir (black brie), this is a long-aged brie cheese - from 2 months to a year. Its taste and aroma are believed to be the brightest.

Bringing brie cheese home from France is not easy. The fact is that brie is very soft and bacteria and mold spread very quickly. It is recommended to store brie only in the refrigerator at + 4- + 2 degrees. It is believed that if brie is heated, then it has already lost its delicate taste and aroma. Naturally, there will be no refrigerator on the plane during the flight home.

Manufacturers strongly recommend eating brie within a maximum of a week after ripening. Although the shelf life of brie is 6-8 weeks, after a week it loses its taste and begins to taste bitter. Attention! See production time, buy only the freshest brie.

The price of regular (mass) brie in France is 7-9 euros per kilogram. For Brie de Meaux - 20-30 euros per kilogram, for Brie de Melun - 25-35 euros per kilogram.

1st place - Camembert (Camembert)

World famous soft cheese from Camembert in Normandy in northern France. Made from cow's milk.

Only one subspecies of Camembert is protected by the AOC system - this is “Camembert de Normandie”, it is produced in small quantities - only about 5,000 tons per year. The reason for this is the very strict AOC requirements. Camembert de Normandie can only be prepared with fresh milk. Other subspecies are prepared from pasteurized milk. The Camembert Le Chatel variety is considered very good.

The first feature of Camembert is its shape. Unlike all previous cheeses, which are cooked in large circles (wheels), cylinders or balls, camembert cheese is made in small packages. Typical size: diameter - about 10 centimeters, thickness about 3 centimeters, weight about 250 grams.

Camembert is the most convenient to transport, over time it only gains its taste and aroma. He may well lie down without a refrigerator.

The smell of Camembert is both a famous trait and the subject of many jokes. The smell is formed by a whole bunch of substances. Among them is isovaleric acid, which is "responsible" for the smell of sweat. When they say that Camembert smells like stale socks, it's true.

Another distinctive feature of Camembert is the white crust that is formed by the Penicillium camemberti mold. Until the 20th century, when scientists learned to control mold, Camembert had no white crust. The crust was blue-gray or brown. White crust is now the standard. The crust is completely edible.

It is believed that Camembert was invented by a woman named Marie Haren. A priest from the city of Bree came to her and shared the secrets of making brie cheese. Marie decided to make her own version. Camembert entered French culture during the First World War, when this cheese was added to the soldiers' ration.

The price for the Camembert de Normandie AOC is 6-7 euros for a package of 250 grams. The rest of the varieties can cost from 1.5 to 6 euros, the range is huge.

The generation, whose childhood was in the 90s, know the name "Roquefort" best of all, although few people have tried or even seen this cheese. But everyone remembers the animated series "Chip and Dale", where that was the name of one of the characters, who clearly suffered from addiction to cheese;

The generation of the 2010s will know Camembert much better. This is Flak's pet (kwani) favorite cheese from Lady Bug and Super Cat;

If you stock up on a calculator and go to the nearest Russian supermarket, you will discover a striking fact - Russian counterparts (import substitution) of French cheeses are not cheaper, but even more expensive than the originals!

If you are aiming to buy a particular variety during a trip to France, then we advise you not to run and search in stores, but to order in a French online store. Fortunately, there are a lot of them in France now. Use auto-translator in your browser;

Enjoy tasting French cheeses and read our interesting articles about France ( links below).