Trappe de la Coudre
Trappe de la Coudre, also sold as trappiste de Laval, is a soft French cheese with a washed rind made from pasteurized cow's milk at Entrammes in Mayenne. Trappist nuns ripen it in the cellars of the abbey Notre-Dame de la Coudre at Laval.
Key Facts
| Country of Origin | France |
| Specific Origin | Laval, Mayenne |
| Milk Type | Cow's milk |
| Milk Treatment | Pasteurized |
| Rind | Washed |
| Texture | Soft, artisan |
| Flavor | Salty, sweet |
| Colors | Ivory |
| Alternative Spellings | Trappist of Laval |
What is Trappe de la Coudre Cheese?
Trappe de la Coudre is a brand name for an industrial French cheese from Mayenne. The method behind it came from the monks of the abbey Notre-Dame-du-Port-du-Salut, who passed it on to the sisters of la Coudre when their dairy was set up in 1868. For over a century the nuns made the cheese themselves, from raw milk bought off local farmers.
That changed in 1995. Production moved to a dairy company at Entrammes, the Société anonyme des fermiers réunis, while the nuns kept the ripening in the vaulted cellars of the abbey at Laval. The brand is sold alongside the Monastic mark.
The milk is pasteurized cow's milk. The paste is soft, and the rind is washed or morgée. Ripening remains an artisanal step done at the abbey.
Volumes have fallen a long way. The dairy turned out 220 tonnes in 1985. By 2013 the company and the monastic community together were making about 20 tonnes a year.
How Does Trappe de la Coudre Cheese Compare?
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