La Fête du Fromage - Tomme de la Cavalerie

Aveyron cheeses never fail to surprise me.
The farmers and fromagers from this picturesque and sparsely populated region produce a stunning array of delicious cow, sheep and goat cheeses.  Cheeses of every texture, affinage and even color are made here.

Take your pick.  Fantastic fromages de chèvre include the creamy little Cabécou de l'Aveyron and the very bold Saint-Christophe.  High on the Plateau du Larzac, where sheep outnumber people, you'll find the world famous Roquefort caves.
This is the region of one of my favorite blues, Bleu des Causses, and rustic and earthy unpasteurized ewe's milk cheeses such as Galette du Larzac and Brebis du Larzac.  The buttery smooth Tomme de Brenac is a superb fromage de vache, or if you like to mix it up a little, try the half cow, half goat cheese, le Petit Campredon.

Tomme de la Cavalerie is another Aveyron charmer.  It is produced in the region surrounding Millau, near the small town of La Cavalerie, which is famous for being a stronghold of the Knights Templar.
This cheese is super buttery, rich and yeasty, with a perfect amount of salt to balance the flavors.  It is an unpasteurized fromage de vache with a slight buttery and milky aroma and mild, exquisite flavor.  I loved it!

A glass of local Minervois red was a great match, and I imagine that Marcillac would be good as well.

Other Aveyron cheeses:
le Lacandou
la Marotte
Margalet
Pérail du Larzac

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La Fête du Fromage - Tomme de Brenac

If a cheese could evoke the spirit of the region where it is produced, in my opinion Tomme de Brenac is it.

Though I spent a mere twenty-four hours in Aveyron last week, I feel like I got a good sense of the place thanks to my personal tour guide and her lovely family, and a brief spin around the beautiful, cow and sheep filled countryside.


Tomme de Brenac's somber, grey rind is reminiscent of the cloudy skies and foggy weather of mid-autumn that I experienced, but underneath that rind is a cheese with a reliable, honest character and surprising joie de vivre.
It is full of rich butter, mushroom and yeasty flavors and has a faint, moldy aroma. Its texture is soft and smooth, and a bit chalky in the center.

Overall this Tomme is somewhat rustic, yet refined. But not complex.
You're following me, aren't you?


The pastures surrounding the tiny village (population 230 or so) of Graissac in northern Aveyron is home to a herd of forty Simmental cows whose sweet, grass-rich milk is used to produce Tomme de Brenac (as well as Laguiole and Tome Fraîche de l'Aubrac).

It pairs wonderfully with our local Minervois red, but a glass of Marcillac, produced just down the road from this cheese, would also be a good wine match. Pin It

La Fête du Fromage - Galette du Larzac

There is nothing like a good fromage de brebis. Especially a rustic, unpasteurized ewe's milk cheese that comes straight from the farm.

Like this one, Galette du Larzac.


The high pastures of the Aveyron département are home to the Lacaune sheep, a hearty breed that wander the Larzac plateau, grazing on the rich summer grasses and wild herb covered (thyme, rosemary, savory) scrub land. In the middle of the vast, wild landscape sits the co-operative farm that produces this delicious cheese.

Galette du Larzac has a mild, earthy, barnyard aroma. The first of many flavors that struck me when I bit into a piece was a light, citrus-like tanginess. Not at all what I was expecting! That instantly mellowed and rich mushroom and butter flavors took over. Its lovely texture is soft and chewy, and it melts in your mouth.
Another great discovery from a vendor at our local Olonzac market.

Red wine such as a Terrasses du Larzac (under the Coteaux du Languedoc AOC) or Marcillac would match the earthiness of Galette du Larzac. Pin It