Bernese Jura · Switzerland
Tête de Moine.
Tête de Moine is rarely cut — it is scraped into delicate frilled rosettes that catch the air and bloom with aroma. Each shaving delivers a concentrated burst of toasted hazelnut, dried fruit and a faintly spicy, barnyard funk, far more intense than the cheese's modest size suggests. The dense, ivory paste is firm yet melts on the tongue, finishing long and savory beneath its brushed, reddish-brown rind.
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The story
How it's made.
Why it tastes that way.
Produced in the Bernese Jura since at least the 12th century by the monks of Bellelay Abbey, Tête de Moine — French for 'monk's head' — takes its name either from the tonsured monks who made it or from the monastery's practice of allotting one cheese per monk.
Made from raw cow's milk and matured for a minimum of 75 days on spruce boards, it earned Swiss AOP protection in 2001. Tradition forbids slicing the small cylindrical wheels; instead the top is pared away in thin curls.
Production · spec
- Milk
- Cow · raw
- Family
- Alpine
- Rind
- washed
- Age
- 3–6 mo
Tasting profile
What it tastes like.
Caseo's flavour axes are calibrated against reference cheeses. This is Tête de Moine's fingerprint.
Aroma
Nutrition · per 100g serving
What's in a wedge.
A 100g serving — about a finger-thick wedge. Daily values use the FDA 2020 reference of 2,000 kcal. Expect ±5% variation between wheels.
Estimated values — based on similar cheese family data
Pairings · Caseo curated
What goes with Tête.
19 pairings across 9 categories.
Beer & Cider
Spirits
Fruits & Jams
Where to find it
Cheese counters.
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