Morbier cheese is a semi-soft French cheese made from cow’s milk with two layers separated by edible ash. It was originally made for personal consumption and to fight for the economy. True Morbier cheese is marked with AOC, while American Mobay cheese is made with goat and sheep’s milk.
Morbier cheese is a French cheese made from cow’s milk and is semi-soft. It has a distinctive appearance because it has two layers, separated by a layer of edible ash. The name of Morbier cheese comes from the village to which its invention is credited, Morbier in the eastern French province of Franche-Comté.
The people who first made Morbier cheese didn’t make it to sell it. Instead it was a farmer’s cheese, often made for personal consumption and as a way to fight for the economy. Early versions of the cheese were made with leftover cheese curds. Cheese makers also made cheese when they used leftover milk, but there normally wasn’t enough milk to fill a full round. In order to prevent the first layer from forming a crust, the morning milk should be sprinkled with edible ash. The second layer would be added in the evening after the evening milking.
In color, Morbier cheese is white to pale yellow, and it typically matures for only a short period of time, about one and a half to three months. Some complain that the cheese has an unpleasant smell, but true cheese connoisseurs tend to overlook strong-smelling cheeses. The flavor of the cheese can have a slightly bitter aftertaste, but many praise Morbier cheese for its creamy texture.
True Morbier cheese is made by one of the two methods listed above and is marked with the French term of controlled origin, also called appellation d’origine contrôlée or AOC. When the cheese is labeled AOC, it comes from Franche-Comté and is made in the traditional way. Without this marking, the cheese may have a slightly different flavor or texture and may contain plant additives.
An interesting takeoff on Morbier cheese is American Mobay cheese. This Wisconsin-developed cheese is not made with cow’s milk. Instead Mobay is a semi-soft cheese made with a layer of goat’s milk and one of sheep’s milk. In appearance it is similar to Morbier, with ash separating the two layers. The taste, however, is markedly different, as goat and sheep’s milk taste significantly different and tend to produce sharper cheeses.
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