The Munster originated in the seventh century and is therefore one of the oldest cheeses in Europe. Italian monks settled in the valley of the Fecht in the Vosges and began making cheese for their own consumption. The name Munster is thus a corruption of the word monasterium, which means monastery, and over the centuries this monastery has grown into a characteristic village in Alsace, not to be confused with the German town of Munster. In history, many wars took place between the Catholics in Alsace and the Protestants from Lorraine, and since then the cheese has been made on both sides of the Vosges, in the east in Alsace (Munster) and in the west in Lorraine (Munster-géromé). Since 1969, there has been the A.O.C. Munster-Géromé, which protects the quality and origin of both cheeses. The Munster is a so-called red bacteria cheese with a washed rind made from raw or pasteurized cow's milk with a minimum fat content of 45%. The cheese is made in various sizes, ranging from 120 grams to 1500 grams. The maturation lasts at least 21 days, and during this period the cheese is lightly salted and regularly turned and "washed" in lukewarm brine, sometimes in combination with an alcohol such as marc de gewurztraminer. The smell of the Munster is one of its trademarks and, like the taste, is full and spicy.
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