Did you know?
Reblochon cheese amasses centuries
of history, a secret memory that kept
its extraor-dinary flavour hidden for
a long time in the chest of unknown
delicacies.Reblochon, a secret delicacy
It was first produced in the 13th century when landowners -normally the clergy or the aristocracy- would tax the mountain farmers in Haute Savoie, France, according to the production obtained. In the case of cows, this meant that they were taxes according to the litres of milk their herds produced.
Cunningly, the farmers decided that they would not milk
their cows fully until they had paid the tax and then
secretly milked them again at night time, which nobody
de-clared. Not a huge amount of milk was obtained
at the end of the day, but it was much creamier and it
was used to produce a mild, delicate... and completely
clandestine cheese.
In the local dialect, “re-blocher” meant re-milk, hence the name of this speciality, Re-blochon, which remained a secret until the tax collection laws changed centuries later.
In the local dialect, “re-blocher” meant re-milk, hence the name of this speciality, Re-blochon, which remained a secret until the tax collection laws changed centuries later.
The three breeds of cow authorised to produce Reblochon Fermier have a physique that is perfect for walking along steep Alpine trails.
An Alpine cheese from Alpine cows
Nowadays, Reblochon has overcome its secret past and has
attained the international popularity it deserves, especially all
the varieties that, just like REBLOCHON FERMIER LE FARTO
DE THÔNES, are still produced just as they were in the past,
respecting a centuries-old tradition.
This hand-made production is one of the requisites of Reblochon Fermier D.O.P.: each farmer is responsible for producing his own cheeses using only the milk recently obtained from his own cows. The farmer therefore guarantees the highest quality of the milk and is personally responsible for the initial stages of its transformation: curdling the raw milk, hand-cutting the curd into small pieces to lose some of the whey, filling the moulds to give them shape and finally draining off the whey, submerging the cheese in brine...
Preserving the traditional “savoir-faire” is a bond between REBLOCHON FERMIER LE FARTO DE THÔNES and its origins and its land, but it is not the only one. The ingredients are also entirely from the “terroir”, from cows of the only breeds authorised in the production of this speciality -Abondance, Montbéliarde and Tarine-. These cows graze on the Alpine meadows in the summer and feed off hay grown in the fields at the foot of the mountains in the winter, a rotation that is reflected in the nuances of flavour in the different pieces of cheese.
This hand-made production is one of the requisites of Reblochon Fermier D.O.P.: each farmer is responsible for producing his own cheeses using only the milk recently obtained from his own cows. The farmer therefore guarantees the highest quality of the milk and is personally responsible for the initial stages of its transformation: curdling the raw milk, hand-cutting the curd into small pieces to lose some of the whey, filling the moulds to give them shape and finally draining off the whey, submerging the cheese in brine...
Preserving the traditional “savoir-faire” is a bond between REBLOCHON FERMIER LE FARTO DE THÔNES and its origins and its land, but it is not the only one. The ingredients are also entirely from the “terroir”, from cows of the only breeds authorised in the production of this speciality -Abondance, Montbéliarde and Tarine-. These cows graze on the Alpine meadows in the summer and feed off hay grown in the fields at the foot of the mountains in the winter, a rotation that is reflected in the nuances of flavour in the different pieces of cheese.
The rind of the Reblochon
Fermier, with its saffron-yellow
colour, is covered with a thin
white layer that forms as it
ripens in the cellars.
The green guarantee
There are 130 authorised producers of Reblochon Fermier D.O.P. Some have joined forces in
cooperatives like LE FARTO DE THÔNES to combine the final stage of produc-tion of their cheeses and
ensure each piece offers the utmost expression of quality and flavour. Experts are therefore responsible
for ripening and affinage in the most favour-able environmental conditions.To make sure all the steps involved in its production complies with the protocols of the D.O.P., the authentic Reblochon Fermier include a green casein label on their rind -casein is a protein that is present in milk and, therefore, the label is entirely edible-. The other variety, the Reblochon Laitier D.O.P., have a red casein label because they can be made using a blend of milks from different producers. The green label ensures the personal and identifiable flavour of raw milk, a very creamy flavour and a characteristic walnut or hazelnut flavour that appears during its ripening stage, which can range from 18 to 40 days.
If you haven't tried it yet, nobody can stop you anymore from discovering REBLOCHON FERMIER LE FARTO DE THÔNES. A great dessert and also in main dishes like the traditional Tartiflette, a baked dish of potatoes, onion, bacon and typical Reblochon cheese from Savoie.
This website has been made possible thanks to the contribution of a team of professionals who love cheese, its origins and the pleasure of eating it.