Reblochon Da Savoie
Reblochon Da Savoie is the cheese from the Haute Savoie – the most popular of all the cheeses from this region. Not surprisingly it also has the highest production in the region. This cheese has been granted the prestigious AOC* title since 1958. It was first produced in the Thônes and Arly valleys, in the Aravis. Thônes is the centre of Reblochon production today and the cheeses are still made in local cooperatives.
History of Reblochon Da Savoie
The origin of the reblochon dates back to the 13th century, in the alpine farms of the Valley of Thônes, by clandestine marauding. Born in Haute-Savoie in the mountains of Aravis and the Land of Thônes, the reblochon is well known in the region since the 14th century. At that time, the farmer who rented a pasture owed the owner a fee commensurate with the amount of milk produced. Also, the day this owner came to measure this production, the farmer did not completely milk the cows. As soon as the owner left, he completed the trade. This milk produced later was richer and creamier and the dairymaids used this to make their own cheese. This second milk, the product of “reblet” was used to make a cheese called “Reblochon”. The word comes from the french word ‘reblocher’ which when translated means ‘to pinch a cow’s udders again’.
From the 14th to the 17th century, cheese production in the region was often cited, but reblochon remained a clandestine cheese due to its fraudulent manufacture. In the 18th century, when the right of age was replaced by fixed royalties in silver or cheese, the Reblochon was revealed in the open, especially on the table of the bourgeois, the clergy and the nobles. Louis XIV and his Court greatly appreciated him “they are very precious presents that do not refuse each other and with the help of which one insinuates themselves… »
The reblochon trade grew in the 19th century, creating a specific trading activity, facilitated by the extension of communication channels.
The first half of the 20th century saw the development of reblochon production, even outside the original cradle. Producers are trying to safeguard the specifics of their cheese, but their efforts were not successful until the Second World War. It was not until the decree of 27 October 1903 that the reblochon was defined, which was supplemented with regard to the delimitation of the area by the decree of 7 August 1958. Today, it has a Protected Origin Calling.
The Cheese
Reblochon is a soft ‘washed rind and ‘smear-ripened’ cheese traditionally made from cows milk. The cheese is 14cm in diameter and about 3-4 cm thick. It normally weighs around between 450g and 550g (ours are 550g) The rind of the cheese is a yellowy-orange colour with a thin white layer of mould on. Then bacteria is smeared onto the rind, this gives the cheese a stronger flavour as it ripens.
This celebrated cheese recently won the Bronze medal at 2014 World Cheese Awards.
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