castello-fullfavorites iconBasket Copyicon-checkmarkicon-facebookicon-globeInstagramicon-pinterestCastello sustainability-08 Copy 7icon-youtubeservings icon mediumtimerTime icon big
Comté Cheese

Comté Cheese

What is Comté?

It seems only fitting that the beauty of the Massif du Jura would match that of its most treasured produce, Comté. Fruity and savoury notes take turns caressing your palate, with sweet and salty undertones bursting through in waves. Like the conversion of woods to countryside, the texture transforms from dense to open as it lingers, while aromas of roasted hazelnuts and caramelised butter spread like clouds on a clear sky.

The flavours are clean and greatly influenced by their surroundings. Dotted with charming villages and luscious pastures, the mountains of Jura in eastern France provide fresh grass for the Montbéliarde and French Simmental cows during the summer. From their milk, the local creameries produce the iconic flavours and aromas that characterise Comté.

Inspiring awe wherever it finds itself, Comté is an outstanding product of the highest level.

How Comté is made

Renowned for its complex flavours, the production of Comté is not just down to workmanship and skill.

Raw milk is delivered straight from the farmhouse to one of the local creameries, the fruitiére. At this point, it is filtered and poured into large copper vats and rennet is added. This helps the milk coagulate and form a firm curd, which is then separated. Closely monitoring the consistency of the curd lets workers know exactly when to drain it. Large wheel-shaped moulds are lined with the broken curd and pressed for an entire day to squeeze out any excess whey. Coarse sea salt from Guérande, along with a yeast solution, is brushed onto the rind, making the wheels ready for aging.

Taking full advantage of the surroundings, the cheese is aged in the cool and humid caves of the Alps. Absorbing the naturally filtered moisture from cracks in the walls, the Comté achieves its unique taste and aromatic nature. Anywhere from 4 to 24 months can be spent maturing in the dark caves of the Massif du Jura mountainsides, finally creating a picture-perfect wheel of Comté cheese.

With the full benefit of wholesome milk, Comté is unpasteurised, unadulterated in flavour and entirely free of gluten. The addition of animal rennet, however, makes this cheese unsuitable for vegetarians.

*Castello UK does not produce or sell Comté at the moment, let us know if you would like to try this Castello cheese by leaving us a message.

Substitute

Substitute

This cheese type with other amazing Castello range cheeses

Explore
Substitute

Substitutes for Comté

When looking for a stand-in with an equal sense of elegance and ubiquity in taste, cheeses that offer qualities of their own provide the best results.

Within the realm of cheese aged in caves, Gruyère strongly resembles Comté. Almost identical in both texture and taste, it presents stronger tones of butter and hazelnut. As a substitute for Comté, you will fair no better than the Swiss Gruyère.

For a different take, Fontina proves a worthy replacement for Comté. It also boasts mild tones of browned butter and roasted nuts, with a dense texture ideal for melting.

PICK ANOTHER CHEESE TYPE IN THIS FAMILY

Cheddar

Cheddar

Cheddar
Edam Cheese

Edam Cheese

Edam Cheese
Emmentaler

Emmentaler

Emmentaler
Fontina Cheese

Fontina Cheese

Fontina Cheese
Gouda

Gouda

Gouda
Gruyere

Gruyere

Gruyere
Havarti Cheese

Havarti Cheese

Havarti Cheese
Manchego Cheese

Manchego Cheese

Manchego Cheese
Provolone

Provolone

Provolone
Taleggio

Taleggio

Taleggio
All you need to know about cheese

Curious about the world of cheese? Here's everything you need to know about how to store, serve and cut cheese!

How to freeze cheese

How to freeze cheese

A guide to freezing and thawing cheese.

How to freeze cheese
How to store cheese

How to store cheese

How do you store your cheese – and what are the signs that the cheese has gone bad? Get the answers here!

How to store cheese
Cheese Knife Guide

Cheese Knife Guide

This cheese knife guide shows you what cheese knives to choose for different types of cheese. You can of course use regular knives, but there is just something about having the right tools for the job!

Cheese Knife Guide
How to cut cheese

How to cut cheese

Your cheese consists of several layers of flavour, and the taste may differ depending on where you cut it. To ensure that you enjoy all aspects of your cheese, you should consider the shape when cutting.

How to cut cheese
How much cheese to serve

How much cheese to serve

Don't know how much cheese to serve? Here's a simple guide to help you serve cheese for lunch, dinner, dessert & as a snack!

How much cheese to serve
Discover our cheeses

Discover our cheeses

A world of surprising and indulgent sensations

Click to explore
Discover our cheeses