The Art of Cheese-Making | France‘s Master Cheese-Creators

Cheese isn't just cheese. Maturing it properly is an art that Barnard Antony has mastered to perfection. His cheese is loved by gourmets worldwide. Barnard Antony and his son Jean-Francois are cheese aficionados. They age cheese and refine its flavor. From his cheese store in Biord-Ferrette, a small town in the French Alsace region, Barnard Antony supplies Michelin-starred restaurants worldwide. In his six cheese storage rooms, there are around 100 different types of raw milk cheeses. Some take years to mature. Emilie Romager's form is a one-hour drive from Biord-Ferrette. For Jean-Francois Antony and his father, it is important to have a good relationship with their more than 60 producers. After all, the way the animals are kept influences the taste of the cheese. Emilie Romager's specialty is the goat cheese picked Alsace. Jean-Francois Antony checks the quality. When you grate this, you get this light, elegant acidity, acidity. It's just very pleasant. Afterwards, you also get something from the nutty notes. But before this cheese goes on sale, it has to age for two weeks on the wooden boards in the cheese storage room. The temperature during the ripening process is also crucial. Jean-Francois Antony also checks for cracks in the cheese wheels. They would cause the cheese to ripen too quickly and spoil the taste. Brushing the cheese regularly with salt and water ensures the right level of moisture. It's not a big theory. You have to feel it. You look at the cheese and you feel what you should do or not do. And here you can already see the dough. This Gruyere, a Swiss hard cheese, is already two years old. An elegant aroma at the beginning. A little sour, but very little. Afterwards comes the salt crystal, this crystallization. For many people, specialty cheeses are a culinary highlight. To create a perfect cheese platter, often a variety of five cheeses is enough. Here we have a Comte, a Coulombier, a Münster, of course, a Siegel and a Scharf. You always have to do that, usually, when you make the variation. Bernhard Antony doesn't have a favorite cheese, by the way. He says he can't decide. He's been known as a cheese affineur for more than 35 years. Star chefs like Laurent Arbet rely on his taste and knowledge. But what is it that's special about his cheese? Cheese is more than just food in France. It's a cultural asset that represents the French way of life.