With its reddish-orange washed rind, lightly covered with white mould, Reblochon is one of France’s great mountain cheeses. An ivory-colored, semi-hard cheese with a creamy body, Reblochon can be quite robust, especially when well aged. Its taste is velvety and smooth with a hint of nuttiness that delights the palate.
Reblochon has been something of a “forbidden fruit”. The name Reblochon derives from the patois term “reblocher” which means to pinch the cow’s udder a second time…
In the 13th century, the tenant farmers of Thônes in Haute Savoie were taxed according to the amount of milk their herds produced. When the tallyman came to the farm, the farmers would not fully milk their cows until the yield was measured. After he left, they milked the cows (pinched their udder!) a second time and used this milk to prepare a cheese which became known as “Reblochon”.
By the 18th century, the Reblochon production was no longer practiced in secret and it began to flourish commercially, in the 19th century. To preserve the name and quality of their cheese, the cheese makers took steps to protect themselves against imitators. In 1953, they were able to obtain a statutory description of their cheese.
Today, the Reblochon Designated zone of Origin covers about 184 villages in the provinces of Savoie and Haute-Savoie. The zone includes the pasture and alpine meadows of the Aravis Mountains, the Pays Rochois and Val d’Abondance where the Abondance, Montbeliarde and Tarine cattle breeds, graze on natural grass so that their milk is influenced by the region’s aromas.
Made from whole and raw milk, Reblochon is a pressed, semi-hard cheese which captures the bounty of the Savoie pastureland. Made in the traditional way, the cheese curds are formed and pressed by hand in moulds which are wrapped with a linen cloth. A weight is placed on top of the moulds so that the whey is completely drained, thus, the curds may be removed from their moulds for salting.
The cheese is then dried on spruce planks and will remain in the cellar for two weeks. When it arrives at the “affineur” (cheese-monger) it will be rubbed again and turned over regularly until it reaches its perfect ageing.
Reblochon Laitier, produced in farmers’ cooperatives or in cheese factories, is identified by a red casein medallion which is incorporated into its rind, whereas, the farm-made Reblochon is identified by a green medallion which specifies the specific production processes, meaning, the cheese must be made after each morning and evening milking, and with raw milk that has not been cooled.
Whether sold in a 250g half wheel or 500g whole wheel, each Reblochon is packaged with a sliver of spruce which allows the cheese to continue to ripen until it is opened.
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