Port Salut is a mild, semi-soft French cheese with an orange rind, first made by Trappist monks.

• Milk: cow’s, pasteurized
• Region: Pays de la Loire, France (the original monastery is in Entrammes)
• Style: semi-soft, orange rind
• Flavor: mild

From monastery to supermarket

Port Salut was developed in the 19th century by Trappist monks at the Port-du-Salut Abbey, who had learned cheesemaking while in exile after the French Revolution. The abbey later sold the name and recipe, and today most Port Salut is made in factories rather than by monks. The monks’ own version continues under the name Entrammes.

How to eat it

It’s mild and easygoing, which makes it a good choice for a cheese board, with crackers, or in a sandwich. For more on putting a board together, see How do you build a cheese board?

Wrapping up

A gentle, approachable cheese with a long history.