Mont d'Or Cheese vs Picodon Cheese
Mont d'Or Cheese is a soft cow-milk cheese from France, while Picodon Cheese is homogeneous, smooth, and fine; can become crumbly if matured longer and made from goat milk.
What Is Mont d'Or Cheese?
Mont d'Or is a seasonal soft cow's milk cheese from the Jura region of France and Switzerland, wrapped in a band of spruce that gives it its flavor. It sells from September 10 to May 10 and is usually warmed in its spruce box and eaten like fondue.
What Is Picodon Cheese?
Picodon is a small goat's milk cheese from the Rhône area of southern France, made mainly in the Ardèche and Drôme. Its name means spicy in Occitan, and it is known for a dry, fine paste that hardens and sharpens with age.
What's the Difference Between Mont d'Or Cheese and Picodon Cheese?
- Milk type: Mont d'Or Cheese (Cow's milk), Picodon Cheese (Goat's milk)
- Texture: Mont d'Or Cheese (Soft), Picodon Cheese (Homogeneous, smooth, and fine; can become crumbly if matured longer)
- Rind: Mont d'Or Cheese (Washed rind), Picodon Cheese (Fine, lightly covered with uniform or speckled moulds)
- Aging: Mont d'Or Cheese (21 to 60 days), Picodon Cheese (Marketed starting 12 days after renneting; 30 days for "matured and washed" or "matured using the Dieulefit method")
- Taste: Mont d'Or Cheese (Resinous, mild to pungent), Picodon Cheese (Frank, capric with notes of nut and mushroom, occasional pungency)
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Mont d'Or Cheese | Picodon Cheese | |
|---|---|---|
| Country of Origin | France | — |
| Specific Origin | Jura Mountains, Doubs | Ardèche And Drôme Regions, Including Parts Of Gard And Vaucluse |
| Milk Type | Cow's milk | Goat's milk |
| Milk Treatment | Raw | Raw, non-standardized, unhomogenized |
| Texture | Soft | Homogeneous, smooth, and fine; can become crumbly if matured longer |
| Rind | Washed rind | Fine, lightly covered with uniform or speckled moulds |
| Aging | 21 to 60 days | Marketed starting 12 days after renneting; 30 days for "matured and washed" or "matured using the Dieulefit method" |
| Taste | Resinous, mild to pungent | Frank, capric with notes of nut and mushroom, occasional pungency |
Taste Comparison: Does Mont d'Or Cheese Taste Like Picodon Cheese?
Mont d'Or Cheese reads as resinous, mild to pungent, while Picodon Cheese brings frank, capric with notes of nut and mushroom, occasional pungency character. More specifically, Mont d'Or Cheese shows known for its creamy taste and powerful aroma; gets resinous flavor from spruce bark, while Picodon Cheese leans toward nut, light notes of mushroom, occasional pungency, possible fermentative taste. Aging plays into this as well. Mont d'Or Cheese at 21 to 60 days develops a different profile than Picodon Cheese at marketed starting 12 days after renneting; 30 days for "matured and washed" or "matured using the dieulefit method".
Can You Substitute Mont d'Or Cheese for Picodon Cheese?
Mont d'Or Cheese can stand in for Picodon Cheese in many dishes, but the switch will shift the overall character of the recipe. Expect soft bite and body where the recipe calls for homogeneous, smooth, and fine; can become crumbly if matured longer. Flavor-wise, Mont d'Or Cheese reads as resinous, mild to pungent while Picodon Cheese brings frank, capric with notes of nut and mushroom, occasional pungency notes.
Which Is Better, Mont d'Or Cheese or Picodon Cheese?
There's no single winner. It depends on your recipe and the profile you want. If you want a soft cheese, go with Mont d'Or Cheese. For a homogeneous, smooth, and fine; can become crumbly if matured longer profile, Picodon Cheese is the better fit. Flavor-wise, Mont d'Or Cheese suits recipes that want resinous, mild to pungent notes, while Picodon Cheese fits dishes calling for frank, capric with notes of nut and mushroom, occasional pungency.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is Mont d'Or Cheese the same as Picodon Cheese?
No, they're distinct cheeses. Mont d'Or Cheese is made from cow milk; Picodon Cheese uses goat. Aging also differs: Mont d'Or Cheese is typically aged 21 to 60 days, Picodon Cheese marketed starting 12 days after renneting; 30 days for "matured and washed" or "matured using the dieulefit method".
Is Mont d'Or Cheese similar to Picodon Cheese?
Not closely. They use different milk bases and have distinct profiles.
Can I substitute Mont d'Or Cheese for Picodon Cheese?
You can, but expect a shift in richness and milk character.
Does Mont d'Or Cheese taste like Picodon Cheese?
Mont d'Or Cheese reads as resinous, mild to pungent, while Picodon Cheese is frank, capric with notes of nut and mushroom, occasional pungency.
What is Mont d'Or Cheese made of?
Mont d'Or Cheese is made from cow milk (raw), using animal rennet. It's typically aged 21 to 60 days. It originates in France.
What is Picodon Cheese made of?
Picodon Cheese is made from goat milk (raw, non-standardized, unhomogenized), using small amount used, lactic coagulation rennet. It's typically aged marketed starting 12 days after renneting; 30 days for "matured and washed" or "matured using the dieulefit method".
Which should I choose, Mont d'Or Cheese or Picodon Cheese?
It depends on the dish. The texture difference is the biggest practical tell. Mont d'Or Cheese is soft, while Picodon Cheese is homogeneous, smooth, and fine; can become crumbly if matured longer.