Port Salut Cheese: Trappist Origin, Taste and Best Uses

It is built to please everyone, which makes it a safe board cheese and a good sandwich cheese.

The name carries more history than the supermarket wheel does. The monks' cheese was a washed-rind cheese with real character; the modern one is gentler, and knowing the difference tells you what to expect and what to swap in.

Port Salut cheese at a glance

Here is Port Salut cheese at a glance, with nutrition from USDA FoodData Central.

The history of Port Salut cheese

The history of Port Salut cheese starts with the French Revolution. Monks who left France learned dairy skills abroad, and when the Trappists returned in 1815 they settled at the Notre Dame du Port-du-Salut abbey in Entrammes. Culture magazine says they spent about fifty years perfecting their cheese, and the maker's own site dates its creation to 1816.

Commercial sales grew out of an 1873 agreement giving a Parisian cheese seller exclusive distribution, according to Wikipedia's entry on the cheese. The abbey's society name, S.A.F.R., became a registered trademark and is still printed on the wheels. Culture reports that production moved from the abbey to a local creamery in 1959, and today the cheese is made by the Bel group. Handmade abbey-style versions called Entrammes can still turn up, but they are rare.

How Port Salut cheese is made and why it is mild

Port Salut cheese is a pressed, washed-curd cheese, which explains its mildness. Culture's home recipe shows the method: warm whole cow's milk is set with starter and rennet, the curds are cut to hazelnut size, and part of the whey is replaced with warm water. Washing the curds takes out some of the milk sugar the bacteria would turn to acid, so the cheese stays sweet and supple instead of tangy.

The traditional version is then brined for about three hours and aged one to three months while a reddish rind forms from surface bacteria, with a more pungent smell. The factory version skips that: Wikipedia notes the smooth orange rind on factory cheese comes from a plastic-coated wrapper.

What Port Salut cheese tastes like

Port Salut cheese tastes mild, creamy and buttery, with a faint tang and a gentle savory note. The paste is pale ivory and semi-soft, and it carries none of the barnyard punch of stronger washed-rind cheeses. Fat and protein run similar to other semi-soft cheeses: USDA lists about 100 calories and 8 g of fat in an ounce.

How to use Port Salut cheese

Port Salut cheese slices cleanly and melts smoothly, so it works anywhere a mild, creamy cheese does. Cut it about 1/4 inch thick for toasted ham sandwiches, melt it on a burger or over potatoes, or fold small cubes into an omelet. It also earns a place on a board for people who find stronger cheeses too much; the best mild cheeses list has more in that style, and best cheeses for sandwiches covers the sandwich side.

On a board, serve it at room temperature with apples, pears, grapes and crackers. Light fruity reds, crisp whites and cider all work.

Port Salut cheese substitutes

The best Port Salut cheese substitutes are other mild, supple semi-soft cheeses. Saint-Paulin is the closest, since Culture calls it Port Salut's twin, but it is harder to find in the US. Havarti gives the same buttery softness, young Edam is a little firmer and nuttier, and American Muenster melts almost as smoothly; the Muenster guide explains why American Muenster is nothing like the French cheese of that name. For a step up in flavor, try Morbier.

How to buy and store Port Salut cheese

Port Salut cheese is sold in wedges and sliced packs in most US supermarkets. Check the label for "pasteurized" and the date, keep it wrapped in the fridge, and bring it to room temperature before serving. Wikipedia says it is best eaten within two weeks of opening; the storing cheese guide has wrapping tips.

What most Port Salut advice gets wrong

Most Port Salut advice treats the cheese as one thing, when it is really two.

The Port Salut orange skin is not always rind

The Port Salut orange skin is not always a true rind. On factory cheese it may be a coating, so look at the packaging and trim it if in doubt; the rind guide explains when rinds are safe to eat.

Port Salut today is not the monks' cheese

Port Salut today is not the monks' washed-rind cheese. If a recipe or a book praises its pungent aroma, it is describing the abbey style, not the mild supermarket wheel.

Port Salut is not a strong melting cheese

Port Salut is a gentle melter, so for a long, stretchy pull use a firmer melting cheese from the best melting cheeses list.

Questions about Port Salut cheese

These are the questions about Port Salut cheese that come up most.

What does Port Salut cheese taste like?

Port Salut cheese tastes mild, creamy and buttery with a faint tang, with none of the pungency of stronger washed-rind cheeses.

Can you eat the orange rind on Port Salut cheese?

The orange rind on Port Salut cheese may be a wrapper coating on factory wheels, so check the package and cut it off if you are unsure.

Is Port Salut cheese pasteurized?

Port Salut cheese is made from pasteurized cow's milk in its factory form, which is why it is generally a safe pick for people avoiding raw-milk cheese; check the pregnancy guide if that applies to you.

Where does Port Salut cheese come from?

Port Salut cheese comes from Entrammes in Mayenne, northwest France, where Trappist monks first made it in the early 1800s.

What is a good substitute for Port Salut cheese?

A good substitute for Port Salut cheese is Saint-Paulin, Havarti or young Edam.

Your first Port Salut cheese

For your first Port Salut cheese, buy a wedge, check that it says pasteurized, and use half on a toasted ham sandwich and half on a board with a pear. Then try Morbier for something with more flavor.