La Fête du Fromage - Tomme de Savoie and Morbier

Tomme de Savoie and Morbier are the two mild, AOC awarded cheeses from the mountainous regions of eastern France that we tasted this week.



There is a saying that there are as many tommes in Savoie as there are mountains and valleys.

The word tomme is a generic term for a round, rustic cheese that is produced in the mountains. As follows, Tomme de Savoie is a round, unpasteurized or pasteurized cow's milk cheese that is produced in the Savoie département in the French Alps.

The salty, nutty flavor was pleasant enough and I enjoyed the smooth, creamy texture. I would call this a "friendly" cheese, meaning that it would please almost anyone with its mild, agreeable flavor. Tomme de Savoie is often lower in fat than most other cheeses, between 20-40% fat, making it a good choice for those who watch their fat intake.

Nothing special here, however, an all around, very nice cheese.

Any white wine from Savoie would be a perfect match to this affable tomme.



Morbier is a reasonably smelly, yet surprisingly mild cow's milk cheese from the Franche-Comté region. This is an easy cheese to recognize due its sticky rind, bulging sides and the dark vein running through its center . That vein used to be soot that the farmers sprinkled over the fresh curd to keep insects away, now it is a vegetable ash that is perfectly edible, though adds no flavor.

Morbier has a nice, buttery, sweet flavor and a supple, silky texture. Again, a friendly, mellow cheese. It is a delicious accompaniment to smoked ham and melts easily, making it perfect for tartines (an open faced, toasted sandwich). I even found a recipe for Morbiflette, a Morbier version of Tartiflette!

Pour a glass of Vin Jaune du Jura or a white such as Chardonnay to enjoy with this cheese.


The photos are a bit blah, sorry about that!

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