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Monastery Cheeses

Monastery Cheeses
Searobin / CC BY-SA 3.0

In medieval times monks and nuns developed products to nourish themselves and sell them to sustain the monasteries. Since most of them raised their cows, goats and sheep, cheese was the obvious natural bi-product. Today, very few monasteries make traditional monastic cheese, as most of them are now manufactured by companies that are not related to monks. These handmade cheeses made by monks are known as monastery, trappist or monk cheeses.

Monastic cheeses are typically made in Belgium, France and Switzerland. But they are also made at monasteries in Canada and the US. Most of them, though not always, were soft or semi-soft cow's milk cheeses that are washed or rubbed with brine or alcohol. The flavours are pungent, whereas the factory imitations tend to be quite mild and bland. Some monasteries have also started making gouda, cheddar, smoked cheese, blue cheese and flavoured cheese.  

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Other cheeses from Belgium:

Other Canadian cheeses:

Other French cheeses:

Affidelice au Chablis, Alpicrème, Amalthée, Anneau du Vic-Bilh, Baby Brie, Baguette Laonnaise, Banon, Barberey, Belletoile, Bleu de Laqueuille, ... show all ... , Bougon, Boule Du Roves, Bourdin Goat Log, Boursault, Boursin, Bouyssou, Brebirousse d'Argental, Brebis du Puyfaucon, Bresse Bleu, Brie, Brie au poivre (Brie with pepper), Brie de Meaux, Brillat-Savarin, Briquette de Brebis, Briquette du Forez, Brousse du Rove, Buche de Chevre, Buchette d'Anjou, Bûchette à la Sarriette, Butte, Cabecou, Cachaille, Camembert, Camembert Calvados, Camembert de Normandie, Cancoillotte (Cancoyotte), Caprice des Dieux, Carre de l'Est, Casu marzu, Cathelain, Cendre d'Olivet, Chabis de Gatine, Chaource, Chaumes, Chavroux, Chèvre, Chevrotin des Aravis, Civray, Coeur de Camembert au Calvados, Coeur de Chevre, Coulommiers, Couronne Lochoise, Crayeux de Roncq, Cure Nantais, Delice de Bourgogne, Delice des Fiouves, Dreux a la Feuille, Epoisses de Bourgogne, Explorateur, Figue, Filetta, Fin-de-Siecle, Fondant de Brebis, Fontainebleau, Fougerus, Fourme de Haute Loire, Frinault, Fromage Corse, Galette du Paludier, Galette Lyonnaise, Gastanberra, Gourmandise, Grand Vatel, Grataron d' Areches, Gratte-Paille, Greuilh, Gris de Lille, Guerbigny, Kiri, La Taupiniere, L'Affine Au Chablis, Laruns, L'Aveyronnais, Le Chevrot, Le Conquerant Camembert, Le Conquerant Demi Pont L'eveque , Le Duc Vacherin, Le Fium Orbo, Le Lacandou, Le Marquis Chevre, L'Ecir de l'Aubrac, Lingot des Causses, Lingot Saint Bousquet d'Orb, Livarot, Lou Pevre, Macconais, Maroilles, Mothais a la Feuille, Munster, Nantais, Olivet au Foin, Olivet Bleu, Olivet Cendre, Palet de Babligny, Pate de Fromage, Patefine Fort, Pave de Chirac, Pelardon des Cevennes, Pelardon des Corbieres, Pérail de Brebis, Petit Blaja, Picodon de Chevre, Pigouille, Pithtiviers au Foin, Poivre d'Ane, Pont l'Eveque, Pouligny-Saint-Pierre, Pourly, President Brie, President Light Brie, P'tit Berrichon, Pyramide, Quatre-Vents, Quercy Petit, Regal de la Dombes, Rigotte, Rocamadour, Rochebaron, Romans Part Dieu, Roule, Rouleau De Beaulieu, Rustinu, Saint Agur, Saint-André, Saint Félicien, Saint-Marcellin, Selles sur Cher, Soumaintrain, Abbaye de Tamié, Tomme des Chouans, Touree de L'Aubier, Trappe de la Coudre, Vacherin, Valencay, Venaco, Vieux Corse, Vignotte

Other cheeses from Switzerland:

Other American cheeses:

Aged British Cheddar, Aggiano, Amish Frolic, Apple Walnut Smoked, Ascutney Mountain, Barely Buzzed, Big John's Cajun, Bleu Mont Dairy Bandaged Cheddar, Blissful Blocks, Boo Boo Baby Swiss, ... show all ... , Brown’s Gulch, Cabot Clothbound, Capriago, Capricious, Cherokee Rose, Chocolate Lab, Crowley, Danby, Dark / Snow Canyon Edam, Dry Jack, Dunbarton Blue, Duroblando, Elberton Blue, Elk Mountain, Estero Gold Reserve, Farmhouse Gouda, Fiscalini Bandaged Cheddar, Flory's Truckle Cheddar, Fortsonia, Four Corners, Fuzzy Udder Creamery's Tomme, Georgia Gold Clothbound Cheddar, Goat Milk Cheddars, Grafton Village Cheddar, Great Lakes Cheshire, Hannah Reserve, Havilah, Hook's 5-year Cheddar, Idaho Goatster, Impromptu , Kashar, Kefir Italian Pasta Cheese, Lamb Chopper, Little Napoleon, Marco Polo, Midnight Moon®, Morgan, Nicasio Reserve, Organic Gouda, Pleasant Creek, Plymouth Cheese, Prairie Breeze Cheddar, Promontory, Regal Blend, Rofumo (Smoked Fontina), Rosemary Medium Asiago, Salsa Asiago, San Andreas, Sartori Classic Cheese Asiago, Sartori Classic Cheese Parmesan, Sartori Classic Cheese Romano, Sartori Limited Edition Cannella BellaVitano, Sartori Limited Edition Cognac BellaVitano, Sartori Limited Edition Family Heirloom BellaVitano, Sartori Limited Edition Family Heirloom Parmesan, Sartori Reserve Balsamic BellaVitano, Sartori Reserve Basil & Olive Oil Asiago, Sartori Reserve BellaVitano Gold, Sartori Reserve Chai BellaVitano, Sartori Reserve Extra-Aged Asiago, Sartori Reserve Extra Aged Fontina, Sartori Reserve Raspberry BellaVitano, Sartori Reserve Rosemary & Olive Oil Asiago, Sartori Reserve SarVecchio Parmesan, Seahive, Shelburne Cheddar, Shtayburne Farm Cheddar, Sicilian Blend, Stella Black Pepper Romano, Stella Mediterranean Parmesan, Stella Parmesan, Stella Parmesan & Romano Blend, Suffolk Punch, Swiss cheese, Tarentaise, TeaHive, Tillamook Cheddar, Tillamook Smoked Black Pepper White Cheddar , Tuscan Blend, Veneto, Wagon Wheel, Wall Street Gold, Wasatch Mountain cheese, Woodside Alpine
Alpha Tolman, Alpine-Style, Anniversary Ale Cheddar, Bad Axe, Barden Blue, Baserri, Bayley Hazen Blue, Bear Hill, Beecher’s Flagship, Bel Ceillo, ... show all ... , Benedictine, Big Woods Blue, Bismark , Blue Ledge La Luna, Brick, Brimstone, Broncha, Buttermilk Blue, Butternut, Campfire, Carabiner, Carmody, Cave Aged Marisa, Caveman Blue, Cayuga Blue, Chapman's Pasture, Checkerboard Cheddar, Cheddar LaDiDa Lavender, Chocolate Stout Cheddar, Colby, Connemara, Consider Bardwell Farm Manchester, Cow's Milk Gouda, Dark / Snow Canyon Edam, Dilly Girl, Farmhouse Gouda, Fat Bottom Girl, Fiesta Cheddar, Flagship Block, Fontiago, Friesago, Goat Gouda, Good Thunder, Gotcha Gouda, Grand Cru Original, Grand Cru Reserve, Grand Cru Surchoix, GranQueso Original, GranQueso Reserve, Grated Kefir Cheese, Habanero Cheddar , Hannah, Heat, Hopyard Cheddar, Island Brebis, Jalapeno Cheddar, Kefir Peppercorn Cheese, Kefir Tomato-Garlic, Kefir Wine Companion, Kennebec Highlands Caerphilly, LaClare Farms Evalon, LaClare Farms Evalon with Cummin, LaClare Farms Evalon with Fenugreek, LaClare Ziege Zacke Blue, Landaff, Legacy, Longhorn, Maggie's Round, Maytag Blue, Menage, MezzaLuna Fontina, Mezzo Secco, Mi-Ewe, Mona, Mont Saint-Francis, Monterey Jack, Moonglo, Morimoto Soba Ale Cheddar, Mt. Mazama Cheddar, Muranda Blue, Natural Smoked Van Gogh Gouda, New Moon, Ocooch Mountain, Old Drovers Road, Old Goat, Opus 42, Pawlet, Peppercorn Gouda, Petite Swiss, Pinconning, Pistol Point Cheddar, Pleasant Ridge Reserve, Point Reyes Toma, Prairie Rose, Prairie Tomme, Processed Smoked Gouda, Queso de Mano, Red Buddy, Red Cloud, Redwood Hill Goat Cheddar, Ridgeline, Roasted Garlic Cheddar, Roth Raclette, Rupert , Sartori Classic MontAmore, Sartori Limited Edition Pastorale Blend, Sartori Reserve Black Pepper BellaVitano, Sartori Reserve Merlot BellaVitano, Scallion Onion Cheddar, Seascape, Sharp Cheddar, Sheep Gouda, Shtayburne Farm Monterey Jack, Smokey Oregon Blue, Smokey Touvelle, Sonoma Jack, Stella Fontinella, Stella Goat, Stella Kasseri, Sunlight, Table Rock, Thomasville Tomme, TouVelle Original, Twig Farm Goat Tomme, Twig Farm Mixed Drum, Twig Farm Square Cheese, Txiki, Van Gogh Edam, Venus, Vermont Ayr, Vermont Herdsman, Vintage Van Gogh Gouda, Weston Wheel, Wimer Winter, Zwitser
Amablu Blue cheese, Ameribella, American Cheese, Appalachian, Applewood Smoked Chevre, Asher Blue, Baby Swiss, Beemster 2% Milk, Bergere Bleue, Bermuda Triangle, ... show all ... , Bijou, Blue Lupine, Blue Yonder, Bossa, Boulder Chevre, Brutal Blue, Buttercup, Buttermilk Blue Affinee, Buttermilk Gorgonzola, Cacow Belle, Cameo, Carr Valley Glacier Wildfire Blue, Chevre en Marinade, Chile Jack, Classic Blue Log, Colby-Jack, Cougar Gold, Cracked Pepper Chevre, Crema de Blue, Crocodile Tear, Crottin, Crowley, Daphne's Aged Goat Cheese, Daphne's Alpine Classic, Devil's Gulch, Dill & Garlic Chevre, Dirt Lover, Dorset , Echo Mountain Blue, Ellington, Formagella, Freya’s Wheel, Funky Bleats, Fuzzy Wheel, Goat Cheddar, Grayson, Halleck Creek, Herbes de Provence Chevre, Hidden Falls, Hillis Peak, Holey Cow, Humble Herdsman, Humboldt Fog, Kefir Blue, Kinsman Ridge, LaClare Farms Cheddar, LaClare Farms Martone, LaClare Farms Raw Goats Milk Cheddar, Lincoln Log, Lindale, Lindy Hop, Little Ypsi, Loma Alta, Madrona, Marisa, Metronome, Midnight Blue, Miette, Mobay, Montchevre Goat Cheese Log, Moody Blue, Morcella, Moses Sleeper, Mountaineer, Mozzarellissima, Mun-chee, Nicasio Square, Off Kilter, Old Kentucky Tomme, Onion & Chives Cheddar, Oregon Blue Cheese, Oregonzola, Organic Beer-Brined Moochego, Original Havarti, Pack Square, Pepper Jack, Point Reyes Original Blue, President Camembert, Providence, Red Alder, Rheba, Roque River Blue - Special Reserve, Saint Rose, Salemville Amish Blue, Salemville Amish Gorgonzola, Salemville Smokehaus Blue, San Geronimo, Sartori Classic Cheese Fontina, Sartori Reserve Cheese Mediterranean Fontina, Schloss, Sea Change, Shredded Bliss, Smokey Mountain Round, St Pat, Stella Blue, Stella Fontina, Stella Gorgonzola, Stella Italian Sharp, Stella Reduced Fat Blue, Stella Smoked Blue, Stella Swiss, Stickney Hill Chevre, Takelma, The Manchester, Tieton Halloumi, Tomme , Truffle Tremor, Tuscan Blend, Twig Farm Crawford, Twig Farm Washed Rind Wheel, Vaquero Blue, Wabash Cannonball, Waldo Smog, West West Blue, Willoughby, Woolly Rind