In the following blog post, we are looking at a cheese that emerged from our beautiful mountain country almost 900 years ago. As the title suggests, the cheese with the focus is called Tête de Moine. It is a French term translating to “Monk’s head.” Some people also know it as Fromage de Bellelay.
There are several attempts to explain why it is called the way it is. One of them is that the name was given during the French Revolution in the 1790s as a comparison between the shaved top part of the cheese and the shaved monk’s head. Another possibility is that the name is simply a homage to the monks who created it.
History
The origin of the Tête de Moine points to the Bellelay Abbey, founded in 1136 and received confirmation from Pope Innocent II in 1142. Records as early as 1192, a hundred years before the formation of the Swiss Confederation, indicate that the monks of Bellelay Abbey were already known for their cheese production. During this period, they used cheese produced in their abbey to pay the annual rent for several properties. Historical documents from the following centuries repeatedly reference this valuable cheese being used as a form of payment. The Tête de Moine experienced a significant advancement in 1982 when it was combined with modern technology. The innovation came from Nicolas Croiviser, a craftsman in Lajoux, who had a passion for cheese and a large family to share it with. He aimed to shave Tête de Moine more efficiently and initially devised a mechanism with a blade attached to a rotating handle above the cheese. While this was effective, it was somewhat cumbersome.
The breakthrough occurred when Croiviser inverted the mechanism, turning the axis into a spindle. Placing the cheese on the spindle and adding a handle made creating delicate cheese flowers effortless. This invention was named the Girolle.
Today
Originally produced within the walls of the monastery and solely during summer, the cheese began to be made in newly established village dairies only in the second half of the 19th century. Today, the production area for Tête de Moine includes the mountainous and summer pasture regions of the Canton of Jura and the Bernese Jura.
Making process
Tête de Moine AOP, crafted from raw cow’s milk, emphasises stringent quality standards. To maintain its freshness, the milk must be processed within a day after collection. Crucial to this process are copper storage and transport vats, with the milk temperature maintained at 38°C (100.4°F) – mirroring its natural warmth.
The production of Tête de Moine commits to natural ingredients, permitting only rennet, natural lactic ferments, and salt.
Producing a 1 Kg wheel of this cheese requires nearly 3 litres of milk. The transformation from milk to cheese involves curdling and mould-packing, followed by whey drainage as the wheels undergo pressing and turning.
Post-pressing, the cheese wheels are immersed in a brine solution for a duration ranging from 12 to 24 hours. This step is vital for setting the cheese’s texture and introducing the right salt level for the onset of ripening.
The next phase involves a 75-day maturation in special caves, where cheese experts, known as affineurs, periodically treat the developing rinds with a blend of water, salt, and lactic acid bacteria. In a controlled, cool, and moist environment, this maturation on spruce planks allows the cheese to develop complex aromas and flavours without drying out.
Upon completing the maturation, each wheel undergoes a thorough evaluation based on texture, flavour, and rind quality, among other criteria. Wheels meeting these high standards are granted the prestigious appellation d’origine protégée (AOP) label.
Export
Over the past fifty years, the production of Tête de Moine has significantly increased, while only 27 tons were made in 1950. In 2022, Tête de Moine sold 3,300 tons worldwide, up 3.7% on the previous year. This represents half of the total amount which is produced despite a difficult economic climate marked by the strong Swiss franc and the war in Ukraine. The main export markets are Germany and France, with a combined share of 81%. Its export share in the Swiss cheese market was 1.3% in 2016.
