What is affinage?
I can only describe my first time seeing the cheese section at a grocery store in France as an out of body experience. Never had I ever seen such a vast selection of cheeses, in every size and shape imaginable. There were soft and creamy goat cheeses, marbled and veiny blue cheeses, hard and nutty sheep cheeses. As an American in Paris, I was perplexed by these noteworthy cheeses and the stories behind them.
The French and their passion for cheese is legendary, with every region producing its own variety. The tradition of cheese making dates back to prehistoric times, making it into Europe during the era of the Roman Empire. Monasteries dedicated themselves to preserving the delicate art and from there, cheese started to gain more popularity throughout what we know as present-day France.
As cheese began to take on the characteristics of the regions it was produced in, distinct varieties were established and slowly France became known around the world for its exceptional cheeses. Today, France produces ⅓ of the world’s cheese. Over 400 French cheese varieties exist and within those varieties, some argue there are over 1,000 distinct types. Pretty impressive for a country roughly the same size as Texas.
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The intensive history behind this dairy product is just one aspect of its complex origin. In its most basic form, cheese making involves curdling milk, either with the use of acids or enzymes and then separating the solids from the liquid. The solid curds are then processed or pressed into a mould. What happens from this point will determine the variety of cheese as well as its properties. Arguably one of the most important parts of producing a great cheese happens during the final phase in its life cycle, a term known as affinage.
The ageing process, or affinage is responsible for the majority of cheese’s varietal flavour differences as changes in flavour, aroma and texture occur during this stage. While some cheesemakers oversee the ageing process themselves, others choose to give their cheese to an expert affineur to ensure that the cheese is aged properly.
Most affineurs start off working in cheese shops and often intern or apprentice under cheesemakers to fully understand the techniques required to make delicious cheeses.
As you may have gathered by now, affinage doesn’t mean that you just let the cheese sit there for a few days. Cheese can take weeks, months or even years to reach its maturity. Stored under controlled environmental conditions that provide consistent humidity and allow natural microbes to transform the cheese, the affinage process is quite similar to the ageing of wine. The affineur is in charge of managing the temperature, humidity, turning over the cheese at intervals, and sometimes even bathing, smoking, brushing, rolling, or wrapping the cheese in cloth. A wide range of cheeses including Roquefort, blue, and gorgonzola are inoculated with different strains of bacteria or mould in order to produce desired results. The length of ageing combined with the type of microbe used leads to infinite taste and texture possibilities.
So much time and care go into the ageing process of the cheese that there are affineurs in France who are celebrated for their skills. If you are looking to buy some cheese in France, the cheesemonger will give you a little taste of the different cheeses before you make your purchase. Ask for a taste of a couple of the same cheese varieties that have been aged differently. You could be very surprised at the difference.