Beaufort () is a firm, raw cow's milk cheese associated with the gruyère family. An Alpine cheese, it is produced in Beaufortain, Tarentaise valley and Maurienne, which are located in the Savoie region of the French Alps.

History

A cheese mentioned by the Roman writer Pliny the Elder in the region Beaufort is made today has been suggested by the cheesmonger Patrick Rance to possibly resemble the modern Beaufort, though Pliny's lack of description makes any definitive identifications impossible.

Varieties

There are three varieties of Beaufort:

  • Beaufort d'été (or summer Beaufort)
  • Beaufort d'alpage (made in chalets in the Alps on high pastures)
  • Beaufort d'hiver (winter Beaufort)

AOC Status

Beaufort was first certified as an appellation d'origine contrôlée in 1968.

Preparation and production

Beaufort is produced in the Beaufortain, Tarentaise and Maurienne valleys, as well as parts of the Val d'Arly valley, all located on 450,000 hectares of the Savoie region. The prepared cheese must then age for 6–12 months, or even longer, in a cool mountain cellar.

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Fabrication_du_Beaufort_(4).jpg|Reheating milk

Fabrication_du_Beaufort_(5).jpg|Milk curdling

Fabrication_du_Beaufort_(6).jpg|Scaling of milk

Fabrication_du_Beaufort_(11).jpg|Brewing of milk

Fabrication_du_Beaufort_(21).jpg|Mass of curd removed in linen cloth

Fabrication_du_Beaufort_(22).jpg|Molding in a circle of beech wood

Fabrication_du_Beaufort_(29).jpg|Molding in a circle of beech wood

Fabrication_du_Beaufort_(33).jpg|Pressing

Beaufort_dans_la_cave_de_la_coopérative_laitière_de_Moûtiers_(2).jpg|Ripening of Beaufort

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Taste and texture

Beaufort cheese is pale yellow, with a smooth and creamy texture and lacks the holes of some other alpine cheeses. Beaufort also has a very distinct aroma, sometime described as strong or mildly pungent and reminiscent of the pastures on which the Tarentaise and Abondance cows graze to provide the milk used for the cheese.

Beaufort is commonly used to make fondue because it melts easily. Beaufort is often eaten with fish, especially salmon, and sources describe it as pairing well with white wine.

See also

References

  • Official website of the Syndicat de Défense du Fromage Beaufort (Beaufort Cheese Defence Union)