Tête de Moine is a semi hard, cows’ milk cheese made in the Swiss mountain region of Jura. The name literally means Monk’s Head, as it was originally produced by the Monks of the Abbey of Bellelay.

Tête de Moine has its own AOC – a legal appellation of origin guaranteeing its geographical source and traditional production methods. It is produced in a cylindrical shape weighing 800 to 850 grams.

The cheese has a bouquet that is quite aromatic and sometimes pungent with noticeable nutty and buttery characters. The taste is complex.

Initially it can seem delicate compared to the bouquet but then the mouth detects flavours that range from nutty to spicy to fruity with an underlying attractive yet faint sweetness.

It is versatile as a wine accompaniment. Try it with dry whites such as riesling and chardonnay and with dry reds such as shiraz and cabernet sauvignon.

Tête de Moine is traditionally served as an hors d’oeuvre by scraping tissue thin folds formed into little conical rosettes, similar in shape to the Girolle mushroom.