Bushra Griffith
Reblochon is a soft washed-rind and smear-ripened cheese made in the mountains of the Haute-Savoie region of the French Alps. It is made with the milk of alpine cows, which are fed mainly on grass in summer and hay in winter. The name Reblochon comes from the word 'reblocher', meaning 'to pinch a cow's udder again'. This refers to the practice of holding back some of the milk from the first milking, which was done by farmers to avoid being taxed on their yield.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Country | France |
| Region | Haute-Savoie |
| Area | Alpine region of the Aravis massif |
| Valley | Thônes and Arly |
| Production centre | Thônes |
| Milk type | Raw cow's milk |
| Cow breeds | Abondance, Tarentaise, Montbéliarde |
| Milk collection | Milk collected from several farms in the production area |
| Pasteurisation | Much of the milk is pasteurised |
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What You'll Learn
- Reblochon is a soft, washed-rind cheese made in the Haute-Savoie region of France
- It was first produced in the Thônes and Arly valleys, in the Aravis massif
- Thônes remains the centre of Reblochon production
- Until 1964, Reblochon was also produced in Italian areas of the Alps
- Reblochon AOC is made with the unpasteurized milk of alpine cows
Reblochon is a soft, washed-rind cheese made in the Haute-Savoie region of France
Reblochon was first produced in the Thônes and Arly valleys, in the Aravis massif. Thônes remains the centre of Reblochon production, and the cheeses are still made in local cooperatives. The cheese has its own AOC designation and became an Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée in 1958. There are 150 farmers producing Reblochon AOC, and they honour traditional rules of production and maturation. The cheese is packed on a thin spruce wood plank, which allows a natural regulation of humidity.
Until 1964, Reblochon was also produced in Italian areas of the Alps, and the Italian cheese has been sold in declining quantities under names such as Rebruchon and Reblò alpino.
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It was first produced in the Thônes and Arly valleys, in the Aravis massif
Reblochon is a soft washed-rind and smear-ripened French cheese made in the Alpine region of Haute-Savoie from raw cow's milk. It was first produced in the Thônes and Arly valleys, in the Aravis massif. Thônes remains the centre of Reblochon production; the cheeses are still made in the local cooperatives. The name Reblochon comes from the word 'reblocher', which means 'to pinch a cow's udder again'. This refers to the practice of holding back some of the milk from the first milking. During the 14th century, landowners would tax mountain farmers according to the amount of milk their herds produced. However, canny farmers didn't fully milk the cows until after the landowner had measured the yield.
The cow breeds best for producing the milk needed for Reblochon are the Abondance, Tarentaise and the Montbéliarde. The milk is collected from several farms in the production area. In the past, the milk was all raw, but today much of it is pasteurised. The cheese is packed on a thin spruce wood plank, which allows a natural regulation of humidity. At home, Reblochon should be kept in a cool place (10-12°C) and is best eaten in the 10 days following the purchase.
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Thônes remains the centre of Reblochon production
Reblochon is a soft washed-rind and smear-ripened cheese made from raw cow's milk. It is produced in the Alpine region of Haute-Savoie, France, and was first made in the Thônes and Arly valleys, in the Aravis massif. Thônes remains the centre of Reblochon production, with the cheeses still being made in local cooperatives.
The name Reblochon comes from the word 'reblocher', which means 'to pinch a cow's udder again'. This name comes from the practice of holding back some of the milk from the first milking. During the 14th century, landowners would tax mountain farmers according to the amount of milk their herds produced, so farmers would not fully milk their cows until after the landowner had measured the yield.
There are 150 farmers producing Reblochon AOC, and they honour traditional rules of production and maturation. The thin spruce wood plank on which the cheese is packed allows a natural regulation of humidity. Reblochon should be kept in a cool place (10-12°C) and is best eaten in the 10 days following the purchase.
The cow breeds best for producing the milk needed for Reblochon are the Abondance, Tarentaise and the Montbéliarde. In the past, the milk used was all raw, but today much of it is pasteurised.
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Until 1964, Reblochon was also produced in Italian areas of the Alps
Reblochon is a soft washed-rind and smear-ripened French cheese made in the Alpine region of Haute-Savoie from raw cow's milk. It was first produced in the Thônes and Arly valleys, in the Aravis massif. Thônes remains the centre of Reblochon production, but until 1964, Reblochon was also produced in Italian areas of the Alps.
The name Reblochon derives from the word 'reblocher', which literally means 'to pinch a cow's udder again'. This name comes from the practice of holding back some of the milk from the first milking. During the 14th century, landowners would tax mountain farmers according to the amount of milk their herds produced. To avoid this, farmers would not fully milk their cows until after the landowner had measured the yield.
The cheese is made with the unpasteurized milk of alpine cows. There are 150 farmers producing Reblochon AOC, and they honour traditional rules of production and maturation. The cow breeds best for producing the milk needed for this cheese are the Abondance, Tarentaise and the Montbéliarde. The thin spruce wood plank on which the cheese is packed allows a natural regulation of humidity.
In the past, Reblochon was produced with raw milk, but today much of it is made with pasteurised milk. It is interesting to note that the same cheese is made in Italy, just on the other side of the mountains. This is not surprising considering that before the unification of France, Savoie encompassed a large portion of northeastern Italy, and the centre of government was actually Torino, Italy.
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Reblochon AOC is made with the unpasteurized milk of alpine cows
The cheese was first produced in the Thônes and Arly valleys, in the Aravis massif. Thônes remains the centre of Reblochon production, and the cheeses are still made in local cooperatives. There are 150 farmers producing Reblochon AOC, and they feed their animals mainly with grass in summer and hay in winter, giving the milk its natural taste. The cow breeds best for producing the milk needed for this cheese are the Abondance, Tarentaise and the Montbéliarde.
Until 1964, Reblochon was also produced in Italian areas of the Alps. The Italian cheese has been sold in declining quantities under such names as Rebruchon and Reblò alpino. It is not surprising that the same cheese is made in Italy, as before the unification of France, Savoie encompassed a large portion of northeastern Italy.
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Frequently asked questions
Reblochon is a French cheese made in the Alpine region of Haute-Savoie.
Reblochon is made from raw or unpasteurised cow's milk.
Reblochon comes from the word 'reblocher', which means 'to pinch a cow's udder again'. This refers to the practice of holding back some of the milk from the first milking.
Reblochon should be kept in a cool place (10-12°C) and is best eaten within 10 days of purchase.
