Protected food classifications in France

Comté cheese has been produced in the Franche-Comté region of eastern France for the past 700, possibly even 1000, years. The cows which produce milk for Comté – they must be Montbéliarde or French Simmental cows – graze in the high pastures of the Jura Massif mountain range, home to a unique flora of wild flowers and herbs.

There are restrictions on the number of cows that can graze per hectare, as well as the use of silage feed, antibiotics and growth hormones. The dairies (fruitères) that make the cheese are no more than twenty-five kilometres from a farmer’s herd and the unpasteurised milk must be made into cheese within twenty-four hours of milking; typically it is done in less than twelve. The young cheeses are taken to aging cellars in the region (Jura maisons d’affinage) where they are managed by extensively experienced workers who age the cheese for a minimum of four months (sometimes years). All cheeses are tested for taste and appearance before being allowed to carry the Comté AOP classification.

The result is a strong, slightly sweet cheese with eighty-three separate flavours detectable in the paste. As the diet of the cows changes with the passing seasons, the flavour will too change subtly over the year.

This protection is afforded to foods that have a connection with a place or region.

To qualify for this status, the food must meet two specific criteria:

The protected area corresponds to historic Brittany – an area in the north-west corner of France, west of the city of Le Mans. All aspects of the cultivation and processing of buckwheat and the resulting flour take place in the protected area. However, in this example, although the geographical conditions of the area are favourable towards buckwheat (temperate oceanic climate, slightly acid soil), they are not unique, meaning the food cannot be designated AOP (PDO).

Instead, the strong geographical link for this product is the history, tradition and reputation of producing buckwheat in the area. Buckwheat has been produced in the area since the 14th century, both farming and processing the seeds into flour. The ingredient is also a very strong feature of traditional Bretton cooking which centres on buckwheat crêpes and galettes. The seeds, which are smaller than other strains of buckwheat, are produced using cultivation techniques that are specific to the region – techniques which, unusually, do not require the use of weed killer.

The resulting flour is darker in colour with a more pronounced flavour and aroma than other types of buckwheat flour.

This protection is afforded to foods that are made under a traditional name, using a traditional method.

To qualify for this status, the food must meet two specific criteria:

These mussels are generally produced on the north Breton coast and are farmed using traditional methods of aquaculture that are thought to have originated in 1235. Mussels are grown on ropes strung from wooden poles (bouchot) in the sea, at least 30cm above the sand to stop them picking up grit and barnacles as they grow.

Only two species of mussel – Mytilus edulis or Mytilus galloprovincialis – can be used to make Bouchot mussels. The regulations also cover the natural collection of mussel larvae, the growing period on the poles, stocking time, meat content and shell size.

The result is grit-free mussels with smooth, regular, dark shells. They are particularly tender and juicy, with full, plump, orange-yellow meat and a clean flavour.