Neufchâtel

The name comes from the village of Neufchâtel-en-Bray, and dates at least from 1543. There was a big market in this village 3 times a week, where lots of cheese were sold.

This cheese therefore comes from the country of Bray. (Bray means "mud" in Celtic, the soils are made of clay and wet, and the grass is rich). It is protected by a Protected Designation of Origin (AOC).

The milk comes from Normandy breed cows (at least for 60% of the animals), which must graze in this fatty grass, 6 months per year minimum.
If it is "fermier", that is to say made with milk from a single herd, the milk must be kept raw. The cheese will then have more character.
If it is "laitier", that is to say from the milk of several herds, the milk can be thermised or pasteurized.

Once the milk has curdled, it is drained, pressed, then molded.
Depending on the mold that is used, the cheese can come in different shapes: heart, big heart (minimum 600 g), square, bung, briquette…
The legend tells that the young girls of the Country of Bray would have offered a cheese in the shape of heart to the English soldiers, to show them their love, during the 100 years war.
The ripening, short, lasts at least 10 days. But there is also a version with a ripening of up to 3 months (the wine pairings are then quite different).

Young, Neufchâtel is characterized by a very fresh balance in the mouth, established from acid and salty flavors, aromas of cream and fresh milk. The dough is crumbly under the tongue.
By prolonging the ripening, the crust is covered with spots of red ferments, the texture evolves and becomes melting. The freshness fades to give way to more pronounced, more "animal" aromas.

On a young cheese the rind is edible. But if the cheese is quite ripe, some scrape a bit the rind (or remove it) not to mask the wine.