Dairy
Tête de Moine
Tête de Moine (literally “monk’s head”) is a small cylindrical Swiss cow’s-milk cheese from the Bernese Jura, traditionally served not in wedges but as thin, rosette-like shavings produced with a girolle or similar rotating blade. The paste is semi-hard, dense, and aromatic, with a full, slightly tangy and nutty flavour that blooms when shaved to increase surface area. It is a PDO cheese of the Bellelay monastery region, matured under a natural rind and best eaten at cellar temperature as a decorative table cheese. The shaving ritual and compact drum shape define its identity as much as the make itself.
Also known as: Tête de Moine Reserve
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Characteristics
Preparations
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History
Premonstratensian monks of Bellelay Abbey in the Jura produced a small cylindrical cheese that later became Tête de Moine.
Secularisation of the abbey spread the cheese’s production among local farms while keeping the Bellelay association.
The girolle shaving tool was invented, popularising rosette presentation of Tête de Moine worldwide.
Tête de Moine received Protected Designation of Origin (AOP/PDO) status protecting Jura production.
Export demand for whole drums and girolle sets grew in Europe, North America, and Asia.
Reserve and extra-aged drums targeted specialty markets while classic Bellelay-style wheels remained standard.