Office de Tourisme
de la Vallée de Munster
1 Rue du Couvent
68140 MUNSTER
Tél : 03 89 77 31 80
Fax : 03 89 77 07 17
The Munster cheese
Presentation
It is a soft paste cheese with a washed rind, first made by the monks of the monastery in the 7th century. At that time, it was a way to preserve milk. In the
The usual way of consuming
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Fromage de MunsterPresentation
It is a soft paste cheese with a washed rind, first made by the monks of the monastery in the 7th century. At that time, it was a way to preserve milk. In the
The usual way of consuming
The bibalakas (or bibalaskas)
The bibalakas (or bibalaskas) is made by mashing fromage blanc (made this day, or the day before; not matured) with cream, onions, salt and pepper. With boiled potatoes, it makes the traditional meal.
How to eat the Munster cheese?
The usual way of consuming Munster cheese is on a piece of bread. Some like it with cumin. You can make a full meal of it too, with potatoes and salad.
As a desert, many farms offer siesskas, fromage blanc of the day, with cream, sugar and kirsch.
The best season for Munster spreads fom May to October.
You better accompany Munster cheese with local wine such as Tokay pinot-gris or Gewurtztraminer.
You can use Munster for tartiflette too.
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Fabrication du munsterHow to make cheese?
Here are the techniques elaborated by about forty farmers of the Valley of Munster.
For 1 pound Munster cheese, you need about 5 litres of milk. It is traditionnaly produced int he morning. The milk of the first milking is mixed with the skimmed milk of the day before. In a big copper cauldron, the Kessel, you put the milk warmed at 32°C, and add the rennet. It is cut one hour later. You put the curds into molds, that will be salted and turned over many times before going to the cave for maturing. For three weeks, the farmer will hand-rub the cheese everey two days, turning its skim to orange-red and giving it a characteristic taste.
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Confrérie du Taste fromageConfrérie Saint Grégoire du Taste- fromage de la Vallée de Munster
This brotherhood aims at gathering cheese lovers, and particularly Munster cheese lovers. The society was created in 1987 and has about 450 members. The robe worn by the members reminds of the monk’s outfit, from Munster’s abbey. In the center of the bronze medal stands the escutcheon of the village of Munster, anda round it, the escutcheons of the 15 other towns of the district.
