Country: Belgium, Canada, France, Switzerland and United States
Kind: soft, semi-soft, brined
Rind: washed
Texture: chalky, creamy, firm and grainy
Color: golden yellow
Flavor: mild, pungent
Aroma: pungent, strong
Synonyms: monk cheese, trappist cheese, monastery
Description: In medieval times monks and nuns developed products to nourish themselves and sell them to sustain the monasteries. Since most of them raised their cows, goats and sheep, cheese was the obvious natural bi-product. Today, very few monasteries make traditional monastic cheese, as most of them are now manufactured by companies that are not related to monks. These handmade cheeses made by monks are known as monastery, trappist or monk cheeses. Monastic cheeses are typically made in Belgium, France and Switzerland. But they are also made at monasteries in Canada and the US. Most of them, though not always, were soft or semi-soft cow's milk cheeses that are washed or rubbed with brine or alcohol. The flavors are pungent, whereas the factory imitations tend to be quite mild and bland. Some monasteries have also started making gouda, cheddar, smoked cheese, blue cheese and flavored cheese.