We’ve all seen these 3 letters on cheese names before. But do you know what AOP cheese actually means?
SEE ALSO: France’s 46 AOP cheeses and where they come from →
What is the AOP?
Well, AOP stands for Appellation d’Origine Protégée which is French for Protected Designation of Origin. This stamp of quality protects a range of agricultural products including, but not excluded to, wine, cheese, hams, olives and sausages.
It was created in 2012 in an attempt to harmonise the food labels across the various countries in the European Union. Hence, it replaced the more historical and local AOC (Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée) and DOC (Denominazione di origine controllata) among others.
How does this apply to cheese?
Overall, the AOP protects the geographic origin, the traditional cheesemaking process and, of course, the quality of the cheese.
The designation of origin covers the source of the milk, the breed of the animal it comes from, where the animals live and where the cheese is made and matured.
Production methods
Next, the cheesemaking process has to very closely follow the traditional, historical methods that are documented in the “cahiers de charge”. This includes everything from how the milk is treated, what cultures are added, what temperature the milk or curd is heated to and what metal the milk vats are made with.
The maturation process is also very clearly defined and there are strict controls over how long the cheese is matured for, how it is handled during maturation (washing, turning, brushing,…) and what conditions of temperature and humidity it is kept in.
A stamp of quality
Finally, the quality control! Unsurprisingly, the cheeses have to conform to the highest level of quality. There are regulations in place that dictate the size and shape of the cheese. But also the appearance of the rind and the texture. And, of course, the aroma and taste of the final product.
Examples of AOP cheeses
Some famous examples of cheeses that bear an AOP stamp include Parmigiano Reggiano (Italy), Manchego (Spain), Feta (Greece), Camembert de Normandie (France), Gruyère (Switzerland) and Allgäuer Bergkäse (Germany).
Actually, France alone is home to 46 AOP cheeses. You can discover the entire list by watching our YouTube video above.
What is your favourite AOP cheese?
So, now you know what AOP cheese is. Thank you for reading our article and we’d love to hear from you in the comments. What’s your favourite AOP cheese?
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!
