Description
Fromage de Herve PDO is a cheese made with raw or pasteurised cows' milk from cows reared in the Herve municipal area.
Production Area
Fromage de Herve PDO is produced in an area which is bordered by the rivers Vesdre and Ourthe to the south, with the Meuse to the west, with the Netherlands' border to the north and Germany to the east. This corresponds with a part of the province of Liege, in the Wallonia region.
Production Method
The milk is heated to a temperature of 32°C and then coagulated and, if necessary, lactic enzymes are added within 48 hours of milking. The curd obtained is cut and placed in moulds to slowly drain off the whey. The cheeses are salted by hand or dipped in brine. The cheeses are left to mature and are regularly turned and washed. Maturing can take from three to four weeks for a young, mild cheese, up to five or six weeks for a spicier, more mature cheese.
Appearance and Flavour
Fromage de Herve PDO comes in cubes weighing from 50 gr to 400 gr. The usual shape is a cube of 6 cm x 6 cm. It has a soft creamy texture and a delicate flavour and is pale yellow in colour with an orange rind.
History
Fromage de Herve PDO is a cheese which was first made in the Middle Ages by livestock farmers who needed to preserve some kind of milk product for the winter months and they made a fermented cheese called maquée (a soft cheese). Cheese making expanded half way through the 16th century when Charles Quint banned the export of wheat to the Netherlands. It was for this reason that the local inhabitants turned parts of their land to pasture. This was the start of a significant amount of cheese making in the area and its fame soon spread.
Gastronomy
Fromage de Herve PDO is easily conserved in the fridge in an air-tight container. It is usually eaten soft and creamy, by leaving it at room temperature for about one hour before eating. Traditionally it is eaten with a slice of freshly baked bread and Liège spread (cooked apple and pear juice) accompanied with a cup of coffee. It is also ideal with a glass of white wine such as Gewurztraminer, brown ale or port.
Marketing
This cheese is sold as Fromage de Herve PDO in two varieties, Mild and Piquant. It is marketed whole in a paper wrapping.
Distinctive Features
Fromage de Herve PDO depends for its distinctive flavour on the method in which it is made, the climate and pastures where the cattle graze but especially because of the presence of particular bacteria (bacterium linens) which give this cheese its particular taste.
