Port Salut is a semi-soft
pasteurised
Pasteurization American and British English spelling differences#-ise, -ize (-isation, -ization), or pasteurisation is a process of food preservation in which packaged and non-packaged foods (such as milk and fruit juices) are treated with mi ...
cow's milk
cheese from
Pays de la Loire, France, with a distinctive orange rind and a mild flavour. The cheese is produced in wheels approximately 23 cm (9 inches) in diameter, weighing approximately .
Though Port Salut has a mild flavour, it sometimes has a strong smell because it is a mature cheese. The smell increases the longer the cheese is kept; this does not affect its flavour. It can be refrigerated and is best eaten within two weeks of opening.
The cheese was developed by
Trappist
The Trappists, officially known as the Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance ( la, Ordo Cisterciensis Strictioris Observantiae, abbreviated as OCSO) and originally named the Order of Reformed Cistercians of Our Lady of La Trappe, are a ...
monks during the 19th century at
Port-du-Salut Abbey
Port-du-Salut Abbey, also the Abbey of Notre-Dame du Port du Salut (french: Abbaye du Port-du-Salut, ''Abbaye Notre-Dame du Port-du-Salut'' or ''Abbaye du Port-Ringeard'') is a Trappist monastery located in Entrammes, Mayenne, France. The main m ...
in
Entrammes
Entrammes () is a commune in the Mayenne department in north-western France. It is located about west of Parné-sur-Roc and about south of Laval Entrammes Airport in Laval.
History
Entrammes owes its location to a major ford across the ri ...
. The monks, many of whom had left France during the
French revolution
The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in coup of 18 Brumaire, November 1799. Many of its ...
of 1789, learned cheese-making skills to support themselves abroad, and brought those skills back upon their return after the
Bourbon Restoration. The name of their society, "Société Anonyme des Fermiers Réunis" (
S.A.F.R.), later became their registered trademark, and is still printed on the wheels of Port Salut cheese.
In 1873, the head of the abbey came to an agreement with a Parisian cheese-seller granting exclusive rights of distribution, and purchases of the cheese soon began to increase. The abbey sought trade protection, and eventually, sold the rights to the
Bel Group in 1950. The cheese is now produced in a factory, with the characteristic smooth rind now the result of a plastic-coated wrapper.
When made of wax the rind may be edible, but can detract from the flavour of the cheese.
Handmade Port Salut cheese or "Entrammes" cheese is still produced by various monasteries throughout the French countryside.
See also
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Port wine cheese Port wine cheese is an orange- and red-colored cheese or cheese spread that is heavily dosed with alcoholic port wine as it is made. It is typically used as a cheese spread on foods such as crackers. It can be rolled into a cylindrical shape or int ...
*
List of cheeses
This is a list of cheeses by place of origin. Cheese is a milk-based food that is produced in wide-ranging flavors, textures, and forms. Hundreds of types of cheese from various countries are produced. Their styles, textures and flavors dep ...
*
List of French cheeses
This is a list of French cheeses documenting the varieties of cheeses, a milk-based food that is produced in wide-ranging flavors, textures, and forms, which are found in France. In 1962, French President Charles de Gaulle asked, "How can you gove ...
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Trappista cheese
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Port Salut (Cheese)
Cow's-milk cheeses
French cheeses
Trappist cheeses