Description
The Emmental Français Est-Central PGI is a cheese produced with raw cow's milk from breeds located in the East-Central area of France which includes three mountain massifs: Vosges, Jura and Northern Alps.
Production Area
The production area of Emmental Français Est-Central PGI includes the following departments: Vosges and the neighbouring districts of Haute-Marne, Doubs, Jura, Côte-d'Or, Ain, Saône-et-Loire, Haute-Saône, Territoire de Belfort, Isère, Savoie, Haute-Savoie in the regions Rhone-Alps , Franche-Comte, Lorraine, Champagne-Ardenne and Burgundy.
Production Method
To obtain Emmental Français Est-Central PGI are used cows that are fed both in summer and in winter without the use of fermented products but with grass and hay only and with the inclusion of complementary food on condition that they are grain and cereal products appearing on a list established by the organism of control of this product. Their milking takes place daily and the milk obtained is coagulated with the addition of rennet. After curdling, there are different phases which include putting the curd obtained into moulds, and then ripening must last at least 12 weeks.
Appearance and Flavour
Emmental Français Est-Central PGI has a cylindrical and rounded shape and weighs at least 70 kg. The rind is smooth and yellow colour. The paste colour goes from fawn yellow to light yellow and shows well-distributed holes, smooth and brilliant.
History
The history of Emmental Français Est-Central PGI is linked to the fruitières, the first agricultural cooperatives whose origin go back to 13th century. The craftsmen with the appearing of Montbéliarde cow race have exclusively adopted milk coming from these animals, because of its better quality. Even if the art of cheese-making has old origins, it is only in 19th century that Emmental appears in Switzerland and in east-center of France thanks to the technological progress of the dairy industry.
Gastronomy
Emmental Français Est-Central PGI must be conserved in the least cold compartment of the refrigerator, wrapped in its original package or in a sealed box. It must be tasted at room temperature, so it must be taken from the refrigerator about half an hour before eating. Emmental Français Est-Central PGI can be tasted simply with a slice of bread, but it can be used also to prepare different dishes like fondue and recipes au gratin. In cubes, it enriches salads.
Marketing
The product is sold as Emmental Français Est-Central PGI Grand Cru. It is marketed whole or in portions of a half or a fourth, in 200 gr and 250 gr portions and grated.
Distinctive Features
The Emmental Français Est-Central PGI's characteristics are due to its fame and to the skills and experience of producers, in addition to the high quality of the raw milk used to produce it. In addition, the small-sized diaries ensure that all the phases are made with extreme care and attention.
