[Sca-cooks] What's the right cheese for an interrogation?

[JIMCHEVAL at aol.com]

Sometimes the pendant is fromage de gain; that is, autumn cheese:
 
"Fromage de gain or 'harvest cheese' is typically made from milk from  
animals grazed on new spring grass and aged for the summer."
_http://books.google.com/books?id=gNw46GzeyLQC&pg=PA346&dq=%22fromage+de+gai
n%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=nqDVUeekC6GCiwLDnoGADw&ved=0CDgQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=%22fro
mage%20de%20gain%22&f=false_ 
(http://books.google.com/books?id=gNw46GzeyLQC&pg=PA346&dq="fromage+de+gain"&hl=en&sa=X&ei=nqDVUeekC6GCiwLDnoGADw&ved=0CDgQ
6AEwAA#v=onepage&q="fromage%20de%20gain"&f=false) 

"1.  D'après Godefrov (Dictionnaire de l'ancienne langue française, au mot 
gaain) et  Littré (Dictionnaire de la langue française, au motfromage) le 
fromage de gain  est celui qui est fait au moment de la seconde coupe du foin. 
Littre au mot  presse cite un exemple ancien de l'expression fromage de 
presse, sans  explication. Il s'agit sans doute de fromages pressés."
_http://books.google.com/books?id=eEBNAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA88&dq=%22fromage+de+gain
%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=nqDVUeekC6GCiwLDnoGADw&ved=0CJsBEOgBMA4#v=onepage&q&f=fals
e_ 
(http://books.google.com/books?id=eEBNAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA88&dq="fromage+de+gain"&hl=en&sa=X&ei=nqDVUeekC6GCiwLDnoGADw&ved=0CJsBEOgBMA4#v=onepage&q&f=false
) 
 
"') Gayin, s. m. sorte de fromage sec qui se fait dans le pays messin.  
Fi'oinage gayin c'est-ä-dire fromage de gain, qui se garde, par Opposition au  
fromage rnou, qui ne se garde pas; cfr. roman: yayrn, gayeng, gaaing, gain,  
profit, utilite. *, Endremouae, s. f. chanson que chantcnl les nourrices et 
lös  mercs pour endormir les enfants. 3) Builler, v. a., donner; cfr. 
roman:  batller."
_http://books.google.com/books?id=4qZCAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA132&dq=%22fromage+de+gai
n%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=nqDVUeekC6GCiwLDnoGADw&ved=0CKMBEOgBMA8#v=onepage&q&f=fal
se_ 
(http://books.google.com/books?id=4qZCAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA132&dq="fromage+de+gain"&hl=en&sa=X&ei=nqDVUeekC6GCiwLDnoGADw&ved=0CKMBEOgBMA8#v=onepage&q&f=fal
se) 
 

Strangely, the Viandier recommends fromage de gain for stuffed piglet  
where the Enseignemenz recommends fromage de mai.
 
" Godefroy dit que le fromage de gain est fait du lait tiré après la  
moisson, temps auquel ces laits sont toujours les plus gras."
_http://books.google.com/books?id=D_EYAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA14&dq=%22fromage+de+gain
%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=nqDVUeekC6GCiwLDnoGADw&ved=0CD4Q6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=%22from
age%20de%20gain%22&f=false_ 
(http://books.google.com/books?id=D_EYAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA14&dq="fromage+de+gain"&hl=en&sa=X&ei=nqDVUeekC6GCiwLDnoGADw&ved=0CD4Q6A
EwAQ#v=onepage&q="fromage%20de%20gain"&f=false) 
 
There seems to be some disagreement about exactly why it was called "gain", 
 Pichon (or Vicaire)'s note here says the milk was fattier after the 
harvest;  another writer says it lasted long enough to be kept.
 

Jim Chevallier

Comparing early and late medieval food in  France
http://www.chezjim.com/food/pre-v/comparisons.html

In a message  dated 7/4/2013 9:13:42 A.M. Pacific Daylight Time, 
JIMCHEVAL at aol.com  writes:
I really am pretty sure that "fromage de mai" was simply the standard  term 
 
for spring cheese, and one that endured into the nineteenth   century: