Description
This cheese box is a perfect foodie gift or an excellent starter package. It contains a half wheel of Tête de Moine (Monk’s Head) and a reusable plastic cutter.
This handcrafted box contains the following products:
- Half wheel (vacuum packed) of Tête de Moine, Swiss raw milk cheese with a long tradition.
- Reusable plastic cutter.
The Tête de Moine was invented and initially produced more than eight centuries ago by the monks of the abbey of Bellelay, located in the community of Saicourt, district of Moutier, in the mountainous zone of the Bernese Jura, the French-speaking area of the Canton of Bern.
Traditionally, the cheese is prepared for eating in an unusual way: the cheese loaf is carefully scraped with a knife to produce thin shavings, which is said to help develop scented flavours by allowing oxygen to reach more of the surface.
Tête de Moine, literally as “Monk’s Head”. The name was first documented in the records of Mont-Terrible, a Department established by the French when they annexed the region from 1793 to 1799 at the time of the French Revolution. Writings from 1292 attest that the cheese of the abbots of Bellelay had acquired such a reputation that it was used to pay the royalties of the stock breeders to the farms’ owners, to regulate litigations, being offered as presents to the prince-bishops of Basel, or even as currency.
It is made from raw cow’s milk and is characterized by a cylindrical form. It is excellent with dry white wine, after being matured for a minimum of 2½ months on small spruce plank.
These items are prepared in our local assembly kitchen, meaning the half wheel of Tête de Moine is cut freshly from our stock. With that the cheese will have up to 60 days shelflife.
How the cheese gets to you
At Alpine Express, we send all our cheeses in eco-friendly, insulated cardboard boxes, carefully cushioned with recycled packing paper and kept chilled with food-grade gel ice packs. We use the fastest service available — most often Star Track Express — so your cheese arrives in peak condition. You can check estimated delivery times using Star Track’s estimated transit time tool, though we may occasionally select another trusted courier to ensure the quickest, most reliable service.
Unless otherwise noted, we ship cheese boxes each Monday, with an order cut-off of 8 pm (Sydney time) the night before. As soon as your order is on its way, you’ll receive a tracking number so you can follow your cheese’s journey from our door to yours.
Do you have any other questions? Check our FAQs for additional information or write to us via our contact form.
