Aug 06 2024
The Savoie region combines snow-capped mountains with lush, grass-lined pastures and is a haven for cow herds such as the Tarine and Abondance. The region’s name comes from the Latin word meaning “land covered in fir trees”. The Savoie region has largely been preserved because of its attraction to mountain and nature enthusiasts as part of one of the most popular mountain regions in the world. The French Alps are situated in the south-east of France and Savoie is located in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of it. Historically the region was known as the Duchy of Savoy, but was annexed by France in 1860, upon which it became split into two separate regions, Savoie and Haute-Savoie.
Spanning an area of 2327 square miles, and with a population of around 436,000 people, Savoie is not one of the most populated regions of France but 50% of its economy is built on tourism, and 30 million tourist nights are spent in the region every year. These are mainly attracted by the numerous ski resorts, which combined to help host the 1992 Winter Olympics in the town of Albertville. However, Albertville isn’t the biggest town in the region, that honour belongs to Chambery with a population of 59,000.
Savoie has what is described as an ‘alpine’ climate, which is also called ‘oceanic’. Its lower altitudes produce a humid climate which is ideal for the local cow breeds and contributes to the production of some famous local cheeses.
Below we take a look at three popular Savoie cheeses:
Tomme de Savoie PDO cheese – This pasteurised raw cow’s milk cheese is the oldest to come from the region, it was historically used in butter-making at one stage and is now aged slowly in cellars. It is a versatile cheese used in fondue – a cuisine made famous by the Savoie region – grated in sauces or diced into a salad. This is described as a rustic cheese, mainly because of its distinctive thick grey rind, and it has a fruity taste with an earthy aftertaste. The overall flavour is recognisable and well-balanced though.
Abondance PDO cheese – Taking its name from the local breed of cow, Abondance is actually the name of a village close to the Swiss border. This unpasteurised cheese has been made since the 12th century and the herd’s feeding methods have a direct impact on its flavour, particularly being fed exclusively on local grass in the summer months. With handcrafted wheels of 40cm diameter, this ivory-yellow cheese has regular openings on its surface and produces a strong taste with fruity hints, most notably pineapple.
Beaufort PDO cheese – Known equally as the ‘Start of Savoie’ and the ‘Son of the Alps’, this cheese is produced high in the mountains and is said to get its distinctive concave shape from being transported down the mountains on the backs of a mule. A thick rind locks in a range of aromas both fruity and floral. The 8 to 10-month ageing process helps to produce seasonal variations in terms of taste, but whichever variation you have, Beaufort is best enjoyed on its own where its flavour is allowed to shine, and particularly in recipes for soups, fondues, souffles and pasta bakes.
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