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Munster cheese is a semi-soft cheese with a strong taste and aroma, made mainly from milk first produced in the Vosges mountains in Alsace, France. The cheese is also made in the United States, where it is known as Muenster, and is made from pasteurised cow's milk. The French style of cheese is typically called Munster, and is made from unpasteurised cow's milk, using a washed rind process that makes it considerably more pungent than the U.S.-made Muenster cheese.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Origin | French or German |
| Region | Alsace |
| Creators | Benedictine monks in the Vosges Mountains |
| Name origin | The Alsatian town of Munster |
| Milk type | Pasteurized cow's milk |
| Rind colour | Orange |
| Rind source | Annatto, a sweet and nutty seasoning |
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What You'll Learn
- Munster cheese is made in the Vosges mountains in Alsace, France
- The cheese is named after the Alsatian town of Munster
- The cheese was first made by Benedictine monks in monasteries in the Vosges mountains
- The cheese is made from unpasteurised cow's milk
- Muenster cheese is an imitation of Munster cheese, made in the United States
Munster cheese is made in the Vosges mountains in Alsace, France
The cheese was first produced in the Vosges mountains, between the Alsace, Lorraine and Franche-Comté regions in France. The best cheeses, in some people's opinion, come from the haute vallée de Munster itself, but this cheese is also made in Lapoutroie, Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines, Villé, and other villages practically or in western Vosges, in Lorraine. Local opinions vary greatly on the best source according to their individual tastes.
The cheese is soft with a strong taste and aroma. It was originally made by Benedictine monks in the Vosges Mountains of Alsace. The name comes from the monasteries these monks inhabited.
Muenster cheese, with an 'e', is an imitation of Munster cheese, created in the United States. It is thought to be named after the German cities of Münster, Westphalia, or Munster, Lower Saxony, or the Irish province of Munster. However, the name is not related to these places.
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The cheese is named after the Alsatian town of Munster
The name "Munster" is derived from the Alsatian word "Minschterkaas". The cheese is also known as "Munster-géromé", a variant from the Vosgien patois pronunciation of the town of Gérardmer, located on the Lorrain side of the Vosges mountains, where it originates.
The cheese is at its best in the summer and autumn, when it is made from milk from the haute chaumes ("high stubble") of pastures that have already been mowed for midsummer hay in the Vosges mountains. The best cheeses, in some people's opinion, come from the haute vallée de Munster itself, but this cheese is also made in Lapoutroie, Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines, Villé, and other villages practically or in western Vosges, in Lorraine. Local opinions vary greatly on the best source according to their individual tastes.
Muenster cheese, on the other hand, is a semi-soft cheese created in the United States. It is thought to be an imitation of Munster cheese, which was familiar to German immigrants. Its name is not related to the German cities of Münster, Westphalia, or Munster, Lower Saxony, nor to the Irish province of Munster.
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The cheese was first made by Benedictine monks in monasteries in the Vosges mountains
The spelling "Muenster" distinguishes the American cheese from Munster cheese. Muenster is a semi-soft cheese created in the United States. It is thought to be an imitation of Munster cheese, a washed-rind cheese originating in Munster, Haut-Rhin, Alsace, which was familiar to German immigrants. Its name is not related to the German cities of Münster, Westphalia, or Munster, Lower Saxony, nor to the Irish province of Munster.
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The cheese is made from unpasteurised cow's milk
The spelling 'Muenster' distinguishes the American cheese from Munster cheese, which is made from unpasteurised cow's milk in the Vosges mountains in Alsace. The cheese is thought to have been first made by Benedictine monks in the Vosges Mountains of Alsace. The name comes from the monasteries these monks inhabited.
The French style of cheese is typically called Munster, according to Wisconsin Cheese, and it's made from unpasteurised cow's milk, using a washed rind process that makes the French version considerably more pungent than the U.S.-made Muenster cheese and also turns the rind orange. The cheese is at its best in the summer and autumn, when it is made from milk from the haute chaumes ("high stubble") of pastures that have already been mowed for midsummer hay in the Vosges mountains. The best cheeses, in some people's opinion, come from the haute vallée de Munster itself, but this cheese is also made in Lapoutroie, Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines, Villé, and other villages practically or in western Vosges, in Lorraine.
Muenster cheese, on the other hand, is a semi-soft cheese created in the United States. It is thought to be an imitation of Munster cheese, a washed-rind cheese originating in Munster, Haut-Rhin, Alsace, which was familiar to German immigrants. Its name is not related to the German cities of Münster, Westphalia, or Munster, Lower Saxony, nor to the Irish province of Munster. Muenster is pale in colour and smooth in texture with an orange rind. The cheese is made from pasteurised cow's milk. The rind's orange colour is from annatto, a sweet and nutty seasoning used to add flavour and colour to cheeses such as Cheddar, Colby, Red Leicester, and Mimolette.
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Muenster cheese is an imitation of Munster cheese, made in the United States
Muenster cheese is thought to be an imitation of Munster cheese, a washed-rind cheese originating in Munster, Haut-Rhin, Alsace. The name comes from the monasteries these monks inhabited. The French style of cheese is typically called Munster, and it is made from unpasteurized cow's milk, using a washed rind process that makes the French version more pungent than the U.S.-made Muenster cheese.
The region that originally produced Munster cheese—Alsace—has been part of both Germany and France over the course of history. The cheese was first made by Benedictine monks in the Vosges Mountains of Alsace. The name "Munster" is derived from the Alsatian town of Munster, where the cheese was conserved and matured in monks' cellars.
Munster cheese is at its best in the summer and autumn, when it is made from milk from the haute chaumes ("high stubble") of pastures that have already been mowed for midsummer hay in the Vosges mountains. Although first produced in France, production of Munster cheese has grown outside of the historic PDO region, which outside the European Union has led to the genericization of the term “munster”.
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Frequently asked questions
Muenster cheese is made in the United States.
Muenster cheese is an imitation of Munster cheese, which was first made in the Vosges Mountains in Alsace.
Munster cheese is made from unpasteurized cow's milk, while Muenster cheese is made from pasteurized cow's milk.
