When it comes to gateways to artisanal cheese, you can’t really beat France’s Fromager d’Affinois. While this soft white mould cheese is positioned as an upmarket artisanal cheese in some markets, there is very little that is known about its real value. Read on to learn more about this hugely popular cheese. And find out how much d’Affinois cheese costs in five different global markets.
SEE ALSO: The d’Affinois story and how ultrafiltration changed the world of artisanal cheese →
What is Fromager D’Affinois?
Fromager d’Affinois is a soft white mould cheese from the Auvergne region of France. It is produced on a vast commercial scale and is often mistakenly identified as Brie. As a matter of fact, D’Affinois has very little in common with Brie or Camembert other than the white mould around it.
Indeed, D’Affinois is a double cream soft cheese that is made by adding cream to ultrafiltered milk during production. As a result, the cheese is very high in fat (around 60%) and develops a rich and creamy texture.
Moreover, Fromager d’Affinois is also unique because of the type of milk that it is made with. Indeed, Fromagerie Guilloteau use a patented method called ultrafiltration to remove water and a host of water-soluble components (minerals and vitamins) from pasteurised milk before turning it into cheese.
Once the cheese is made, the cheesemaker matures wheels and bricks of D’Affinois for around two weeks. This is significantly shorter than the eight weeks required for cheeses like Brie de Meaux. During this time, it forms a natural white mould rind that is very thin and uniform. Furthermore, the cheese has an incredibly consistent creamy texture. As for its flavour, it is very mild with the most subtle hint of butter.
What is the retail price of d’Affinois around the world?
Now this is where it gets very interesting! It would seem that this cheese has been positioned very differently depending on the market. Indeed, in France, it is considered a generic commercial cheese. Whereas in the USA and Australia, wholesalers and retailers have priced this cheese as a high-end product.
France
In its country of production, the original format of this cheese is still currently available. Indeed, you can find Pavé d’Affinois in just about every supermarket and grocery store. For the sake of this comparison, we looked at the price of this cheese at the popular chain, Super U.
Surprisingly, this commercial cheese is priced at 16.67 €/kg. And this places it on par with the likes of Boursin (16.25 €/kg). And below other popular cheeses such as Emmental Bio slices (19.50 €/kg) and Mini Babybel (18.41 €/kg).
United States of America
Clocking in at a hefty USD$30/lb, the USA has the highest price in the world for this mass-produced cheese. Quite remarkably, it has been positioned in the American market as a luxury cheese.
Some other cheeses that cost less than d’Affinois include Cave Aged Gruyère (USD$27/lb), High Plains Cheddar (USD$20/lb), Brie Fermier (USD$29/lb) and Stilton (USD$28/lb)!
Conclusion: commercial or artisanal?
Thank you for reading our post on the cost of d’Affinois cheese. While there is no arguing that this soft cheese is hugely popular, there are huge question marks over what it should actually be worth. Do you think that it is too expensive in the USA? Let me know in the comments.
Jonah is a a hipster, eco-warrior and slow food afficionado. Coming from a scientific background, Jonah has a particular interest in cheese science. And yes, he loves a good cheese pun!
