Munster—or Munster-Géromé under its full AOC designation (1969)—is the only major washed-rind cheese of Alsace and Lorraine, produced in the Vosges mountains from the milk of cows grazing the high-altitude chaumes (mountain pastures) between 600 and 1,400 metres. The fermier (farmstead) version, made from raw milk within hours of milking, bears little resemblance to the industrial pasteurised versions found in supermarkets—it is a living, evolving cheese that demands knowledge to produce and skill to serve. Production follows a strict protocol: fresh raw milk is heated to 32-34°C, inoculated with mesophilic cultures and rennet, curdled for 60-90 minutes, cut into 2cm cubes, moulded by hand into cylindrical forms, and salted after 24 hours of draining. The affinage (ageing) is where the cheese’s character develops: washed every two days with a brine solution containing Brevibacterium linens—the bacteria responsible for the orange rind and the cheese’s notorious aroma—for a minimum of 21 days for petit Munster or 5 weeks for the full 450g format. In the Alsatian kitchen, Munster is far more than a cheese course: it is melted over roesti (Roesti au Munster), folded into flamiche (a savoury tart), stirred into scrambled eggs, and paired classically with cumin seeds—the combination of pungent cheese and aromatic spice being one of Alsace’s most iconic flavour marriages. A perfectly ripe Munster fermier should yield to gentle pressure, with a bulging, slightly sticky rind and a cream-line (the softened layer beneath the rind) extending almost to the centre.
Serve Munster fermier at room temperature (20°C) after at least one hour out of refrigeration. Pair with cumin seeds, which cut the cheese’s richness and complement its earthiness. When cooking with Munster, add at the last moment and do not boil—it melts beautifully but becomes stringy if overheated. Choose cheeses from summer production (estive) when mountain pastures produce the most aromatic milk. Assess ripeness by gentle pressure—the cream-line should extend most of the way to the centre.
For the definitive Munster experience, seek out the cheese at the weekly markets in Munster, Kaysersberg, or Colmar from July through October when the summer-production cheeses are at peak ripeness. The cumin should be lightly toasted and coarsely crushed, not ground to powder—you want bursts of flavour, not uniform seasoning. For a revelatory cooking application, split a ripe Munster horizontally, place the halves cut-side up on Soufflenheim plates, sprinkle with cumin and white wine, and bake at 180°C for 8 minutes until molten—serve with boiled potatoes for the most comforting dish in Alsace.
Serving straight from the refrigerator, when the cheese is too cold to express its full flavour. Using industrial pasteurised Munster in cooking, which lacks the complexity and melting properties of fermier. Cutting away the rind, which is edible and contains much of the flavour. Storing in plastic wrap, which suffocates the living rind—use waxed paper. Serving with strong red wines that clash with the cheese; Gewürztraminer is the canonical pairing.
Munster: Un Fromage, un Terroir — Éric Tournaire