Cheese Database

Chaumes vs Port Salut

Chaumes

Facts

Milk
Cow
Texture
Soft
Type
Washed rind
Rind
Washed rind
Country
France

Chaumes is a soft cow's milk cheese from France. It has a washed rind and a pale, supple interior. Makers brush the surface during aging, so the rind turns orange and the paste stays moist. The flavor is mild at first and becomes fuller as the cheese ripens. It is sold in rounds that are easy to cut for a board or a warm dish.

Port Salut, field guide plate
Port Salut, photographed

Port Salut

Facts

Milk
Cow
Texture
Semi-soft
Type
Washed rind
Rind
Washed rind
Country
France

Port Salut is a semi-soft cow's milk cheese from France, sold in small wheels with a smooth orange rind. The paste is pale, supple, and mild, with a light sweetness and a gentle tang. It slices cleanly, and it also softens when it is warmed. The smell can be stronger than the taste, especially after the wheel has been kept, but the flavor stays approachable. French cooking treats it as an everyday cheese, not as a fierce washed-rind challenge for specialists.