On Thursday morning, the alarm went off at 6:30 a.m. because we still had a two-hour drive ahead of us to Lyon, where we had an appointment with Janier at 11:00 a.m. We really had to be on time, because Janier 's appointments are rare, and you don't want to miss them!
You should know that the Janiers are among the most important cheese refiners in France. A little explanation: A cheese refiner doesn't produce the cheese himself; he refines it. He doesn't have cows that he milks himself, etc. His job consists of finding farmers who produce the milk he wants. He has his local people collect it, and they process it immediately before the milk cools down (this is called "working warm milk"). The cheese must receive its rough shape in the region where it is produced; the Janiers have "caves d'affinages" (aging cellars) in many regions of France. Only then is it taken to Lyon, where it is refined (= refined), i.e., brought to perfect maturity.
In 2000, they were named Meilleur Ouvrier de France (Best Craftsman of their Trade), and in July 2010, the Janiers became the first cheese refiner to be awarded the "Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant" label by the French Ministry of Economy. This distinction is only given to companies that excel in practicing, maintaining, and passing on their traditional craftsmanship and knowledge.
So we sped down the highway, this time even willing to pay tolls, something we usually avoid...
Lyon is the third-largest city in the country. The Autoroute du Soleil (THE north-south highway, one of the busiest roads in France) runs through the city, forming a confusing and opaque network of streets, underpasses, and overpasses... without the navigation system, we would have been lost! But we arrived right on time at 11:00 a.m.
We received a friendly and warm welcome from Christian Janier. He must have seen the strain we'd endured in Lyon's traffic, because he invited us for coffee at a bistro around the corner, where he was greeted by the waitress like a regular. Christian Janier has been managing the family business for several years, but his father, Maurice, is still actively involved.
Christian told us that his father doesn't usually come to the office on Thursdays, but he made an exception to welcome us and meet us. We felt even more honored.
Maurice Janier welcomed us into his office. We must mention the aura this man exuded in his office. The office is furnished with a display case, an old desk, and two visitor chairs in front of it. Countless awards, commemorating his work and skills, hang on the walls. It is the complete opposite of the sterile and soulless offices of today. And amidst this ambiance, Janier Sr. sat behind his old desk, looking at us with shining eyes.
He greeted us warmly and then began to tell us about the beginnings of his business relationship with Maître Philippe. He pulled out a thick folder, leafed through it, showed us photos, and shared a few anecdotes.
Then Christian picked us up, dressed us in a couple of thick woolen jackets, and took us to the aging cellars. Unfortunately, we couldn't take any photos, as the Janiers generally do things this way.
The Janiers work with approximately 800 small cheese dairies that produce raw cheese for them. They have strict selection criteria; the quality of each cheese is constantly checked and questioned. As soon as any quality defects are identified, the cheeses are rejected, and cooperation with the dairy is terminated if necessary. The Janiers have as much "cheesemaking" as possible done on-site. On the one hand, this is required by the strict AOC (Appellation d'Origine Controlé) rules, but on the other hand, and primarily, this is because the Janiers believe that the terroir is absolutely crucial for the cheese's final flavor. Utilizing the terroir means working with regional products, animals, people, and their expertise, and utilizing the region's climatic conditions, as this is what makes the product's flavor unmistakable. Two Comtés that are produced only 5 km apart and look exactly the same will taste unmistakably different because the terroir is different.
Christian Janier says of himself that some people call him crazy, but he would rather put it this way: he has the passion for cheese that is needed for his job. The story of terroir is continued in the Janiers' maturing cellars: Cheese from a specific region is only stored on wooden boards made from trees that also come from that region. We were extremely surprised to learn that there is a profession called cheese board maker! The Janiers have been working with the same man for years, who only fells the trees at a certain time of year, then lets them rest in the forest for 6 months until he cuts them to a precisely defined width and depth and lets them dry. Very important: The boards are always left untreated and are never sanded, as this is the only way the air can circulate beneath the cheese through the finest grooves in the wood. The cheese boards in Messieurs Janiers' cellars are sometimes up to 40 years old and are still absolutely perfect.
We were explained how to check the quality of a cheese. You always use your five senses.
1. If the cheese has any visual defects, it is rejected. Of course, the goal isn't to produce a perfectly standardized, uniform cheese. Cheese is a natural product. However, certain defects, such as cracks in the skin, can later impair the quality of the cheese.
2. The hard cheese is tapped with a hammer, which is used for the acoustic inspection. The sound of the tap allows the affineur to determine the internal condition of the cheese, whether it has any unwanted cracks, etc.
3. You can also tell the quality by smelling the cheese (the inside of the cheese is cut out with a special tool).
4. The texture is tested in two ways: First, the cut cheese is rubbed between the fingers to feel the texture, such as salt crystals in the dough, etc. This also warms the cheese, which is important for tasting. Then, the warmed cheese is felt on the tongue by moving it back and forth in the mouth, and crushed on the palate...
5. Which brings us to the taste test. The cheese is swished around in the mouth, as if tasting wine, to ensure it truly engages all the taste buds. As it is swallowed, even more complex aromas rise through the throat and nose.
The Janiers currently have eight cooling chambers, all with different temperatures and humidity levels, depending on the cheese's needs during maturation. Only one cooling chamber is not moistened, but rather removed: the one in which the goat cheese is stored. Goat cheese is very moist when young and needs to dry to mature. Previously, the goat cheese was dried in the open air – where the moisture exchange took place automatically – but this is no longer permitted due to EU hygiene regulations. Janier continues to store the goat cheese on straw mats, however, because this natural material has properties that metal or plastic cannot offer: If the cheese is too moist, the straw draws moisture away; if the cheese becomes too dry at some point, the straw returns it.
A little anecdote perfectly reflects the philosophy, passion for cheese, and uncompromising commitment to quality at Janier: Christian Janier was determined to add a mozzarella to his product range. It took him three whole years, after countless trips through Italy, to find a mozzarella that met his standards. This truly sensationally delicious mozzarella is, of course, also available at maître philippe...
After the tour, the Janiers invited us to lunch at the restaurant "La Fourvière," located right next to the basilica, high up on a hill in Lyon. From its panoramic terrace, you can enjoy an incredible view of Lyon. We could even see Mont Blanc in the distance, which, according to Christian Janier, is a bad sign, because it almost always rains the next day. Well, it did, indeed.
We had a typical Lyon menu with andouillettes (tripe sausage) for tv and quenelles de brochet (pike dumplings) for ac. Both were delicious!
The Janiers are wonderful hosts: They are warm, very funny, and truly interesting and genuine people who, despite their success, have remained very down-to-earth. When we effusively thanked them for the wonderful day and for taking so much time for us, they waved us off and said it was completely normal for them—and they meant it.
