When you traffic in gourmet foods, many coming from artisanal producers around the world, you sometimes find that a cherished product has vanished. Sometimes it’s due to a snag with the FDA, a row of some sort over raw milk or labeling. Or the producer simply retired. Suddenly a cheese that has been made for decades — or centuries — which has been a fixture in the cheese case at DeLaurenti simply vanishes. One cheese does not make the cheese case, but when a good one disappears, it sure leaves a hole. Fortunately, sometimes there is a comeback.

After a nine-year absence from the US, we once again have authentic Morbier back in our case. While this legendary cheese from the Jura mountains dates back to the late nineteenth century, the FDA altered its standards for the quantity of bacteria it allows in cheese, blocking the export of Morbier in 2014. After working with the FDA, the producer of Morbier is once again allowed to export to the States.

Morbier’s distinctive line of ash through its center dates back more than a century. The cheese was typically made in the winter when travel was difficult, and the cows produced less milk. Farmers would deliver their milk to the village cheese dairy. With the small and sporadic supply, the curd made from the morning milking would be dusted in a layer of ash to protect it until the process was finished with curd from the following morning. Today, the line of ash is more for the traditional appearance than anything else.

This supple cheese delivers notes of yogurt, caramel, and fruit, developing roasted, spicy, and vegetal nuances as it ages. Morbier is a striking addition to a cheese board, and it also melts wonderfully. Try using it as Raclette or in the gratin known as Morbiflette, the best potato gratin you’ll ever taste.

WINE PAIRINGS WITH TOM!

Tom Drake, our wine buyer, suggests pairing the Morbier with Julien Altaber Coteaux Bourguignons, a delicious blend of Pinot Noir and Gamay. Hailing from one of Tom’s favorite winemakers in St. Aubin, a small but highly regarded village in Bourgogne (Burgundy), the wine features bright cherry notes that provide a fresh and fruity contrast to the creamy and nutty flavors of the Morbier. Its spritely minerality cuts through the cheese’s creaminess, balancing its richness and enhancing its complex flavors without overwhelming them. The wine finishes with a special warmth and softness that complements the slight pungency of the Morbier.

Tune in next week for the story behind another recent cheese revival — Abbaye de Belloc!

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