The Best โฃSupermarketโ Raclette, โAccording to 60 Million Consumers
Planning a raclette evening? 60 Million Consumers โขmagazine has recentlyโข tested six supermarket raclette cheeses to determine which offers the best balance of flavor, melt, โand value. Their findings โreveal a clear winner, and highlight some brands to avoid.
The panel sought a cheese that melts well andโฃ complementsโ accompaniments without overpowering them, prioritizing accessibility andโ affordability.They focused their comparison on natural racletteโฃ cheeses withโค rind, made fromโฃ pasteurized milk and โsold in vacuum-packed slices.
Ultimately, the winning cheese wasn’tโ the most expensive. The testers found that the key differences between brands came down to structure, aromatic intensity, and salt levels.
Several cheeses failed to impress. RichesMonts (โฌ4.26 for 420g at E.Leclerc) was described as havingโข a “neutral taste.” Entremont Flavor of Yesteryear (โฌ4.39 for 350g), despiteโฃ having the lowest salt level of theโข group at 1.5% โค(compared to 1.7% for others), was perceived as too salty, masking its flavor. Silver Oak (Lidl, โฌ3.49 for 400g) was criticized for its “unappealingโฃ appearance and an elastic โtexture.” โฃ Products from the Les Croisรฉs and RichesMonts brands were โgenerally disliked “because of their unpleasant taste, or the absence of flavor,” and were noted for less satisfactory melting.
The market is largely dominated by two production โsites: the Entremontโค Alliance dairy inโค Cรดtes-d’Armor (producing Entremont, U, and Carrefour Original) and La Compagnie des fromages and RichesMonts in Haute-Loire (producing Les Croisรฉs, RichesMonts, andโ Chรชne d’Argent). All tested cheeses shared a similar composition: pasteurized cow’s milk, salt, โferments, maturing ferments, coagulating enzyme ratherโ of rennet, and natamycine.
Here’s a rapid โguide to the panel’s observations:
* Classicโฃ RichesMonts: Neutral โฃtaste, possibly bland with spicy accompaniments.
* Entremont Saveur d’Antan: Lowest salt level (1.5%), but perceivedโข as too salty.
*โข โฃ Silver Oak (Lidl): “Unattractiveโ appearance and elastic texture.”
* Les Croisรฉs and RichesMonts: Unpleasant taste or lack โof flavor, poorโข melting.
Price matters. In Paris, Lidl’s Chรชne d’Argent was the most affordable at โโฌ8.72 per kilo, followed by E.Leclerc’s Les Croisรฉs atโ โฌ8.55 per kilo. โค More established brands were pricier without necessarily offeringโฃ a notable taste improvement.
A โฃkey takeaway for budget-conscious shoppers: raclette cheese with crust is generally cheaper than the version without crust. For example, at Auchan,โข the difference was 27 cents,โฃ andโข at Carrefour, 30 cents. U stores were anโค exception, pricing both versions the same. โ If you don’t mind the rind, it’s a simple way to save money.