France's Tomme De Savoie Is An Alpine Delight

 

Tomme De Savoie (Tum-duh-sav-wah) is produced the Haute Savoie region of France which borders Switzerland and Italy. It is an area that is defined my towering mountains and deep valleys that are dotted with quaint villages. The cheese production here is strictly seasonal. During the winter months the dairy herds are housed in barns located in the valleys and are fed silage. This type of food does not produce the high grade of milk needed to produce top quality cheeses therefore cheese is not produced during this time. When spring arrives the dairy herds are walked up into the mountains to graze on the mountain flowers and grasses throughout the summer and into very early fall. During this time the milk that is produced is at its finest quality. In the late fall and winter the cheeses made from the spring and summer milk  have been aging and are ready to be sold. The great cheese Reblochon is also produced in this region.

Details: Tomme De Savoie is available as both pasteurized and raw milk versions, when found always choose the raw milk version. Tomme De Savoie is a semi-firm pressed cow's milk cheese that has an inedible fuzzy natural hard rind which came be somewhat thick. The new cheeses are aged from 3 to 6 months. The interior paste will usually have small holes throughout and will vary in color from straw to light beige. The forms that are produced range in size from 3 to 12lbs. The flavor of Tomme De Savoie will present a slight hint of salt along with mild raw beef and hazlenut undertones. This is a wonderful rustic cheese and well worth its purchase price.

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Shopping tor Tomme De Savoie: as with most firm cheeses avoid any that have a dry or cracked rind, and gray or red tinged interior paste as they are signs of a cheese gone bad. There are many non authentic Tomme De Savoie cheeses being imported to the US now. When shopping for this cheese be sure to read the label it should clearly say made (fabrique) in Savoie and raw milk (au lait cru). The inferior quality brands will say aged (affine) in Savoie. These brands are made elsewhere and are only aged in Savoie. They are less expensive but are really not worth the money you would pay for them so once again CHECK THE LABLES. The Perrin brand is the best importer of authentic Tomme De Savoie to the United States and can usually be found in Whole Foods or Wegmans.

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Wine Paring: since Tomme De Savoie is not an assertive cheese so it will go very well with both light or fruity reds and whites.

Reblochon A Great French Cheese From The Savoie Region

Reblochon (reh-blo-shaw) is produced in the Haute Savoie region of France. The Haute Savoie is a region nestled in the mountains near the Swiss border and has abundant lush valleys where the dairy cattle graze. Reblochon has received its Appellation D'Origine Controlle (AOC) so you can be sure that its producers maintain its strict methods of production. Most cheese making in the Savoie stops between November and February due to the lack of fresh grass and flowers for grazing, during this time the cows are fed silage which tends to not produce high quality milk.

Details: Reblochon is a pressed, cooked curd cow's milk cheese. It is available in both pasteurized and unpasteurized versions in the United States The unpasteurized version is allowed in the US provided it is aged at least 61 days before being imported into the country. After being pressed into 1 pound disks the new cheeses are washed in brine to aid in creating the rind. A thin rind is produced which is considered edible but many find it unappealing due to its velvety texture and appearance. Be aware this is definitely a stinky cheese but it is not overpowering like French Muenster or Epoisses.
The interior paste will have a bone color and a soft consistency like Brie. Reblochon will have a flavor that is sweet and an undertone of hazelnuts accompanied by a barnyard like aroma.

The Reblochon disks are packaged between two very thin wooden disks and then wrapped in thin paper. There are some coming packaged between thin waxed cardboard disks however this does not affect the quality or flavor of the cheese.

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Shopping for Reblochon:  look for ones that are printed with Haute Savoie on the paper wrapping. Some will also have the name of of the town or area where they were produced and the words au lait cru on the wrapping.  Some retailers sell half cuts, be sure to look for smooth rinds and white inner paste. Do not purchase any that look slimy, dried out or have a gray tinge to them. Also, the aroma should smell like a barnyard but not rank. Avoid any that are sitting in the cheese case wrapped in plastic. Reblochon can be found in most really good good local cheese shops, Wegmans and some Whole Foods Markets. It is worth the time spent looking for this great cheese.

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Serving Reblochon: This cheese goes well with crusty breads and dry French salami or thinly sliced French ham or with fresh fruit as a snack. Wrap any leftovers in wax paper, place in the refrigerator and try to finish them  within a day or two.

Wine paring: Fruity whites and young reds from the Savoie region. If you are uncertain about this ask your wine merchant for assistance in finding the appropriate wine.

Ossau-Iraty The Pride Of The Pyrenees Mountains

If you are looking for something different than Manchego then try this great French sheep's milk cheese. Ossau-Iraty received it’s Appellation D'Origne Controlle (A.O.C) in 1980 for the unpasteurized sheep’s milk version of this cheese. This wonderful sheep's milk  cheese is produced in the area in and around the Pyrenees Mountains which form the border with Spain. Unfortunately the unpasteurized milk version is not allowed to be imported into the United States. Luckily the pasteurized versions that are imported to the United States are excellent. So with that said we will be discussing the pasteurized version as we proceed.

Details: Ossau-Iraty is produced from mid to late December, which is the birthing season, until mid July when the fertility cycle begins again and all milking and cheese making ends.The local sheep herds are brought up into the mountains to eat the aromatic wild grasses and flowers during this time. Ossau-Iraty is usually produced in small village cooperatives according to an ancient recipe that has been passed down for centuries. Brebis is the French word for sheep so you may see the words "fromage de brebis"  printed on the labels of Ossau-Iraty.

 First the freshly made curds are pressed into plastic molds to remove the water and whey. The new cheeses are then stacked on top of each other to press out any remaining water. They are then placed in a brine bath for two hours. Once the brine bath is complete the cheeses are placed in cold rooms or caves to start the aging process. The new cheeses are turned and hand rubbed with salt for about two months. As the cheeses continue to age they will then be rubbed with brine soaked cloths for another four months. 

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 Flavor: Aged Ossau-Iraty will have a natural rind that is inedible. The inner paste will be semi firm and have a slight yellow hue, it may also weep some of its butterfat (this is not a bad thing). Ossau-Iraty will  have a flavor that is nutty, fruity and a hint of olives.

When shopping for Ossau-Iraty avoid any that have a cracked rind, fissures in the paste or a gray tinge. If you see butterfat pooling or weeping out of it, as noted above, this not a cheese that has gone bad, but it is a sign that it is quite ripe. If you purchase it in this condition you should eat it quickly and do not store it the refrigerator for too long. You should be able to readily find the pasteurized version of Ossau-Iraty in any good local cheese shop, Wegmans or Whole Foods  Try to find the following brands Etorki, Onetik, Prince de Claverolle  or Ishtara they are always consistently excellent. If you can not find Ossau-Iraty good substitutes are Idiazabal or Roncal if you are looking for great sheep milk cheeses

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Serving Ossau-Iraty: This wonderful cheese does well being served with raw vegetables, sweet peppers, French Ham and crusty breads. It is also nice slivered and tossed with tomatoes ground black pepper then drizzled with a good olive oil. Try serving it with sliced apples and pears as an after dinner treat.

Wine Pairing: Ossau-Iraty pairs well with a good Bordeaux and Rhone reds.