Dairy
Reblochon
Also called Reblochon de Savoie, fromage de Savoie
A soft, washed-rind cow's milk cheese from the Savoie Alps, sold as a flat round of about 450 g with an orange-pink rind dusted white. The paste is supple and creamy and melts smooth without going stringy.
Origin
The Thônes and Aravis valleys of Haute-Savoie, with protected designation of origin since 1958. The story goes that farmers taxed on their milk yield held back the last, richest milk until the inspector had gone, then milked again to make this cheese; reblocher means to milk again.
Flavour
Mild and milky with a note of hazelnut and a faint cellar smell from the rind. Much less pungent than the rind suggests.
How it is made
Made from raw milk while it is still warm from milking, lightly pressed, then washed and turned during a few weeks of ripening in cool cellars.
How to use it
Eat it at room temperature with bread, or halve it through the middle, rind on, and bake it over potatoes for tartiflette. Raw-milk rules keep the real thing out of some countries, including the United States; look for a Savoie washed-rind cheese sold as Fromage de Savoie or a Reblochon-style cheese.
Storage
Keep it wrapped in waxed paper, not cling film, in the fridge, and eat within a week of buying. Take it out an hour before eating it raw.
