Neufchâtel

Neufchâtel: Nutrition, History and Cooking Guide

Neufchâtel is a soft, crumbly white cheese from Neufchâtel-en-Bray in Normandy, France — one of the oldest cheeses in Normandy, with production documented since the sixth century and official records from the twelfth century. Norman Neufchâtel is made from raw cow's milk, ripened with Penicillium camemberti surface moulds (as with Brie and Camembert), and most distinctively produced in heart, roll, or log shapes — the heart shape (coeur de Neufchâtel) is the most recognisable and traditionally exchanged as a gift. It has a soft, slightly grainy interior that becomes creamier as it ripens, with a mild, mushroomy, slightly acidic flavour. In the United States, "Neufchâtel" refers to a different product entirely — a lower-fat cream cheese (about 33% fat versus the standard 33–40% of regular American cream cheese), produced without moulds and with a soft, spreadable texture. American Neufchâtel is widely available as a slightly lighter alternative to cream cheese in baking and as a spread. The nutritional data here likely represents the American-style lower-fat cream cheese interpretation.

Nutritional Value and Uses

Neufchâtel provides 253 kcal and 9.2 g of protein per 100 g, with 22.8 g of fat — lower in fat and calories than standard cream cheese. American Neufchâtel can replace cream cheese in most applications — in cheesecakes, in frosting, as a bagel spread, in dips — at reduced caloric cost with very similar flavour and texture. French Neufchâtel is best eaten on a cheese board at room temperature with good bread and Norman cider.