Neufchâtel (cheese)

The neufchâtel is a French cheese manufactured in the Pays of Bray (area of High-Normandy) and more particularly in the neighborhoods of Neufchâtel-in-Bray. It profits from a Appellation of controlled origin since 1969. It has the specific shape of heart, but name authorizes also the shapes of log and paving stone.

It is a cheese containing cow's milk, with soft paste with flowered crust, of an average weight of 250 G.

Its period of optimal tasting is spread out April at August after a Affinage from 8 to 10 weeks, but it is also excellent from March to November.

History

The neufchâtel is the very old cheese, undoubtedly oldest of Norman cheeses. It was probably already manufactured at the 6th century and officially attested starting from 1050. During the War One hundred Year old, for the festivals of end of the year, the legend tells that the young girls offered to the English soldiers cheeses in the shape of heart to testify to their love. At the 17th century, it was dispatched with Paris and Rouen, and was exported in Great Britain. But it is starting from 1880 that its history accelerates: this year there, a farmer, Isidore Lefebvre, built a cheese dairy with Nesle-Hodeng in which it can mould and refine curd produced by the farms of the surroundings. Among its distributers will appear the department stores Harrods of London.

It is only in 1957 that the trade union of defense of the quality control mark of cheese of Neuchâtel is created. This trade union will obtain in 1969 the Appellation of controlled origin.

Thereafter, the cheese dairy local, like Isidore Lefebvre and Lhernault are absorbed by the large ones groups dairy. The production is in particular assured by the European dairy Compagnie (KEY, controlled by Bongrain) and by the Cooperative dairy High-Normandy (CLHN).

Presentation

The neufchâtel is presented in six different forms:
  • square (100 G);
  • heart (100 G);
  • bung (100 G);
  • briquette (100 G);
  • double-plug (200 G);
  • large heart (600 G).

Production

  • 887 tons in 1998 (+ 16.4% since 1996) including 81% with believed milk (67% as a farmer).
  • 1014 tons in 2003.

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