Morbier is a pressed cooked cheese from the Franche-Comté region made from raw cow’s milk. You might recognize it as the French cheese with blue to black-colored ash in the middle – that is sometimes mistaken as mold – and its orangey-beige rind.
It’s first created in the 19th century in Morbier, Jura. During that time, the farmers didn’t have enough milk to use to make milk-hungry comté cheese in the winter. So, they found a way to use what they have in just two steps.
Despite its odd look, morbier actually has a creamy, lightly sour, and nutty flavor. It’s semi-soft and its rind melts in your mouth. Here are some other morbier-related questions and answers you should know.
What is the Ash in Morbier?
The ash you see in the middle of morbier nowadays is actually vegetable charcoal. However, the traditional process of making morbier involved real ash to protect the fermented cheese from damage and insects.
How is Morbier Made?
To make morbier the traditional way, farmers before would use the raw milk they milked during winter and heat it at 37°C/98.6°F. Then, they let the curdled milk ferment overnight and cover it with wood ash from the cauldron or soot to avoid bacteria from forming and avoid insects like flies from damaging the cheese.
At the same night or on the next day, the ash-covered cheese is topped by an equal layer of fresh curds – the reason why there’s the ash in the middle. The cheese is then aged for 45 days to 3 months.
Nowadays, morbier supply isn’t as limited as before – you pretty much can grab a good slice in any season. The ash in the middle is replaced by vegetable charcoal, which gives the cheese a fruity hint.
What’s the Smell of Morbier Cheese?
Morbier has a slightly sulfuric, grassy, and pungent aroma.
What’s the Taste of Morbier Cheese?
Fruity, tangy, and nutty.
Can You Eat the Ash on Morbier Cheese?
Yes, definitely! Don’t worry because nowadays, the black or blue lining you see in the middle of morbier is not ash, but just vegetable charcoal.
How Do You Eat Morbier Cheese?
Appreciate the delicate taste of morbier by adding it to your cheese platter. Pair it up with some slices of pain aux céréales (a less-denser version of sourdough bread with mixed grains like oats, rye, and barley) or pain au cacao (sourdough bread mixed with cacao powder). Make sure that you leave the cheese in room temperature at least for an hour before serving.
You can also use morbier in sandwiches, tarts, and baked pasta. Or if you want to go real French, you can try to make a Jurassienne tartiflette, called the morbiflette, where you bake thinly sliced potatoes with onion, bacon, and slices of morbier on top.
Your Morbier Cheese Pairing Guide
Here’s what you can drink with morbier:
- White wine (Dry for young morbier)
- Arbois
- Côtes du Jura
- L’Etoile
- Chignin Bergeron
- Savennières
- Corton
- Red wine (Fruity for young or slightly aged morbier)
- Arbois-Pupillin
- Savigny-les-Beaune
- Mercurey
- Côtes du Jura
- Santenay
- Chassagne-montrachet
- Madiran
- Beaujolais Villages
- Cahors
- Languedoc
- Gevrey-Chambertin
- Natural sweet wine (For aged morbier)
- Rivesaltes ambré
- Beer (For aged morbier)
- Amber
- Blonde
- Whisky (For aged morbier)
- Single malt
- Pure malt
- Irish whiskey
- Grain whisky
- Tea (for aged morbier)
- Pu’er
- Summer Darjeeling
- Assam
- Grand Yunnan
- Red fruit juice
- Blueberry
- Cherry
- Red currants
- Mango nectar
Cheeses Similar to Morbier
If you’re looking for a morbier cheese substitute, you can try using the following:
- Cantal
- Raclette
Morbier Cheese Recipes
Wondering what fun dishes you can make with morbier? Here are a few recipes you can try:
Morbiflette
Potatoes, bacon, and cheese – what else can go wrong in this simple yet tasty dish?
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 35 minutes
Ingredients (serves 8 people):
- 1 kg potatoes
- 160 g smoked bacon
- 240 ml crème fraiche (or sour cream)
- 360 g morbier cheese
- 1 large onion
- 80 ml white wine
- Salt
- Pepper
What you need :
- Saucepan
- Pan
- Oven
- Gratin baking dish
- Knife
- Peeler
Instructions :
- Heat the oven at 200°C and bring a pot of water to boil.
- Peel the potatoes and thinly slice them. Cook them in the pot of boiling water for 5 minutes.
- Peel and slice the onions. Slice the bacon into small strips. Cook both ingredients together in a pan.
- When the onions and bacon are cooked and translucent, add the white wine and let it simmer for 2 to 3 minutes.
- In a gratin baking dish, add a layer of potatoes. Season the layer with salt and pepper, then add a layer of the cooked bacon and onions.
- Add another layer of potatoes to cover the bacon and onions, and season it again with salt and pepper.
- Add the crème fraiche on top of the last layer of potatoes.
- Add slices of morbier on top.
- Place the dish in the oven and cook it for around 35 minutes.
Croque Monsieur with Morbier
Croque monsieur is a French ham and cheese sandwich you can’t miss in French cafés and boulangeries. Here’s an easy recipe where you can use morbier slices. Remember to serve this warm!
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Ingredients (serves 4 people):
- 8 slices of plain loaf bread
- 4 slices of ham
- 200 g of morbier slices
- 40 g of butter
- Salt and pepper
What you need :
- Knife
- Oven
Instructions :
- Heat the oven at 180°C.
- Grab two slices of bread and butter one side of each.
- Season the unbuttered side of one slice of bread with salt and pepper. Then add a slice of morbier, a slice of ham, and lastly, another slice of morbier (yes, we want it cheesy).
- Cover the sandwich with the other slice of bread – buttered side up. Do the same for the rest of the ingredients.
- Toast the sandwich in the oven for 10 minutes. Slice the sandwich in two and serve with salad on the side.
Pumpkin Soup with Morbier
Add some creaminess and cheesiness to your normal pumpkin soup with this recipe.
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes
Ingredients (serves 4 people):
- 2 shallots
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- 1 kg pumpkin
- 1 liter vegetable broth
- 180 g morbier + 20 g for garnish
- 2 tablespoons of pumpkin seeds
- Salt and pepper
What you need:
- Casserole
- Food processor/Hand blender
- Knife
- Peeler
Instructions:
- Peel the pumpkin and remove the seeds. Slice the pumpkin into cubes and set aside.
- Remove the rind of the morbier and slice it into dice.
- Peel and slice the shallots.
- Heat the casserole and add olive oil. Heat the oil in low heat for 5 minutes.
- When the oil is ready, add the shallots and sauté until they’re translucent. Add the pumpkin cubes. Then add the vegetable broth.
- Cover the casserole and let the pumpkin cubes cook for 20 minutes in medium-high heat.
- When the pumpkin is cooked, scoop a few cups of broth out of the casserole and set it aside. Add the diced morbier in the casserole and let it melt while adding more stock in the pot until it reaches your desired consistency.
- Add the extra morbier cubes and pumpkin seeds to garnish.
Other French Cheeses with Ash in the Middle
Morbier isn’t the only cheese with ash in the middle. You’ll see other cheeses with ash (or vegetable charcoal) inside and out.
Some cheeses with ash include:
- Le Parthenay Cendré
- Cendré de Champagne
- Cendré de Vergy
- Le Bleu Cendré
- Chevre cendré
There’s definitely more to add in this list. A clue to know if there’s ash in or outside the cheese is to check for the word “cendré” or just check out the color.
