Port Salut cheese was originally made from pasteurized cow's milk. Joan's cheese was make from a combination of goat and cows milk in order to give it more of an Oregon character

It is a semi-soft cheese. The origins of this cheese goes back to Trappist monks 19th century Port Salut cheese originated in Brittany in the Loire Valley, France.

It is named after the abbey of Notre Dame du Port du Salut in Entrammes.

Today Port Salut cheese is commercially made in big factories; however, the handmade version is still produced by various monasteries throughout the French countryside.