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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