Tête De Moine has been used as a term since 1790, but cheese has a much longer history. The monastery of Bellay was founded in 1136. The monks of the monastery were first mentioned in connection with cheese in 1192. They paid an annual rent for various estates with cheese produced in their abbey. Bellay cheese is first mentioned in a document from 1570. Traditionally, at Jura, the abbey's cheese stock was counted 'per head of monk', hence the name Tete de Moine 'monk's head'. The cheese matures for 3 to 4 months. Tete de Moine is not cut with an ordinary knife, but is 'scraped' into rosettes with a special knife called a Girole. Shaped in this way, the cheese is suitable as an aperitif and garnish for salads, accompanied by rustic bread with raisins.