Comté A.O.C. is an ancient French gourmet cheese, also known as Gruyere de Comte; it is made in the Massif of the Jura, a region composed of medium range mountains situated in Franche-Comté, which lies between the Vosges and the Haute-Savoie.
The cheese is hard, straw-colored, contains some medium-size holes and has a tendency to crack on cutting. Comté has a floral aroma with nutty fudge flavors developing in the more mature cheese. The taste is full of nuts and toffee with a lovely long and salty finish. Older cheeses take on a strong, farmyard-like character.The cheese has a thin beige rind which thickens and hardens as the cheese matures.
This cheese is a close cousin of the Beaufort and Emmenthal cheeses. Comté is the first French AOC cheese (Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée), since 1952. The Montbeliard cow is the only breed of cattle whose milk is authorized for making Comté.