Description
The Langres PDO is a cheese produced with milk from cows belonging to breeds located in the tableland of Langres.
Production Area
The production area of Langres PDO is located near the tableland of Langres and extends over a part of the departments of Côte-d'Or, Haute-Marne and Vosges, in the regions Burgundy, Champagne-Ardennes and Lorraine.
Production Method
The milking must occur maximum 48 hours prior to the cheese processing; rennet is added to the milk. Once curdled, cheeses are put into differently shaped moulds and dripped. Then they are removed from moulds and salted. During ripening, the cheeses are washed with salt brine every two days without being turned. As they are not turned, they show a hollow on the upper part called dimple, which is the best sign of ripening: the deeper is the dimple, the riper is the Langres PDO (the best is 5 mm depth).
Appearance and Flavour
Langres PDO has a rind with an intense aroma, always humid and brilliant, and its colour varies from light yellow to brown depending on the ripening level. The paste, solid and elastic, goes from white to light beige colour and melts in the mouth releasing its full taste. There are three variants: the large cheese weighs minimum 800 gr and it must ripen for about 21 days, the middle sized one, whose weight is at least 280 gr and is refined for 18 days, whilst the small cheese weighs minimum 150 gr and must ripen for about 15 days.
History
The first documents mentioning Langres PDO go back to the 18th century. Indeed, this cheese is mentioned in a canto wrote by the prior of Langres Dominicans. At that time, its production was mostly made by farmers for familiar consumption or, rarely, for the local market. But over the times, the Langres cheese was more and more appreciated and has become the subject of a prosperous marketing.
Gastronomy
The Langres PDO is conserved in the least cold compartment of the refrigerator, wrapped in its original package. It must be tasted at room temperature, so it must be taken from the refrigerator about half an hour before eating. Langres PDO is ideal at the end of a meal, but can also be used to prepare some recipes. It is perfect with bodied red wines like Bourgogne, Mercurey or Nuits-Saint-Georges or Medoc wines.
Marketing
The product is sold as Langres PDO. It can be marketed fresh, whole, in small or big single cheeses, in individual packages or in slices in the specialised shops.
Distinctive Features
Langres PDO can be immediately recognised thanks to its typical hollow on the surface, called dimple. Local population like to taste it after having poured out some Champagne or Marc de Bourgogne on it.
