from
Behind the French Menu
by
Bryan G. Newman
behindthefrenchmenu@gmail.com
Fourme d’Ambert
Photograph
courtesy of the La Société Laitière de Laqueuille
(The Société Laitière de Laqueuille also produces its
own blue cheese called La Bleu de Laqueuille).
The
Fourme d’Ambert is a 28% fat, pasteurized, cow’s milk cheese,
with a blue mold. Despite being a
blue-veined cheese, it is smooth and relatively mild. The cheese is allowed to age and develop its
taste and texture for four to eight weeks in humid cellars. Even when matured
for the full eight weeks this cheese is still far milder than many other blue
cheeses.
The cheese’s documented history going back over
four-hundred years but was undoubtedly produced even earlier. The producers claim that its history goes
back to the Druids worshipping in the Forez Mountains, which are divided between
the departments of the Loire and Puy-de-Dôme.
A view of the Forez mountains around Ambert
Photograph
courtesy of Jeanne Menjoulet
https://www.flickr.com/photos/jmenj/15506887602/
The town of Ambert that gave this cheese its name is a small town of under 7,000 in the department of Puy-de-Dôme in the region of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. The word fourme, which is part of this and other French cheeses' names, has nothing to do with the type of cheese; fourme refers to the form, the shape of the cheese, and the container into which the cheese is poured. The regulation shape of a whole Fourme d'Ambert is a cylinder 11 cm (4.3 “) in diameter by 22 cm (8.7 “) high. A whole cheese weighs approximately 1.5 kg (3.3 lbs).
Fourme d’Ambert
AOP AB
See
Organic Food and Wine in France.
Photograph
courtesy of BBG Bio.bon
When
buying this cheese to take home, you’ll see that the Fourme d'Ambert, like most
blue cheeses, does not have a rind and keeps very well without one. Have a round cut, wrapped well in plastic
wrap (only for blue cheeses without rind) and then vacuum-packed, which will
travel well for one or two days. At home, keep the cheese in the refrigerator,
never the freezer, and in plastic wrap; it will keep well for a month or more.
For more about buying cheese in France and taking it home, click here.
Ambert on Thursday Market day.
Open from 8:00 t0 12:30.
Ambert’s round town hall is in the background.
Photograph
courtesy of Livradois-Forez National Park
The Fourme d’Ambert on French Menus:
Asperges Blanches
à la Fourme d'Ambert, Jambon de
Vendee – White asparagus served with a Fourme d’Ambert sauce and
the Vendée ham. Asparagus and ham are often paired, and here,
hot white asparagus has a Fourme d’Ambert sauce.
Entrecôte Charolaise (Environ
300 G) à la Fourme d'Ambert. – A grilled or
fried entrecote from the highly rated Charolais beef (approximately 300 grams (11 oz ))
prepared with Fourme d’Ambert cheese.
Magret d'Oie Grille à la Fourme
d'Ambert - Grilled goose breast prepared with Fourme d’Ambert cheese.
Salade Auvergnate: Salade, Croutons,
Fourme d’Ambert, Tomate, Jambon Cru, Noix – Those
who live in the Auvergne are called Auvergnates, and so are their local
recipes. An Auvergnate salad is prepared with mixed salad greens,
croutons, Fourme d”Ambert cheese, tomatoes, cured ham, and walnuts.
Truffade à la Fourme d’Ambert avec Jambon Sec, Saucisson et Salade – The truffade is a traditional Auvergnate thick potato pancake made from thinly sliced potatoes fried in goose fat. Here, it is made with the Forme d’Ambert and served with cured ham, sausage and a salad.
An open sandwich with fruit and Fourme de Ambert
Tartine de Fruits et Fourme d’Ambert
Photograph
courtesy of Bordeaux Sweet and Dessert Wines
In the town is the House
of the Fourme d'Ambert and the other four Auvergne AOP cheeses. Check
their website's opening times as these can change; entrance in 2023 costs less
than six euros per person. If you are a
French speaker, call them on 04-7382-4923. Their French language website is Maison de la Fourme
d’Ambert et de Fromages d’Auvergne AOP,
it is easily understood using the Bing or Google translate apps.
A view of the town
Photograph courtesy of
Jérôme Decq
https://www.flickr.com/photos/lesphotosdejerome/6141038669/
The
Auvergne has a Route des Fromages AOP d'Auvergne, an
Auvergne cheese road with plenty of dairies to visit and appreciate their
wares. Their website is also in English:
https://www.fromages-aop-auvergne.com/route-fromages/
The route runs near to many vineyards, restaurants, and other places of interest. You may follow the map: https://www.fromages-aop-auvergne.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/LIVRET-RDF-portrait-V2.pdf. The map is also in French but easily understood and you can join at any point, just use the Bing and Google translate apps.
The Fourme d’Ambert and the Fourme de Montbrison cheeses. Linked forever to Ambert and its cheese is a town called Montbrison and their cheese, the Fourme de Montbrison AOP. Ambert is in the department of Puy-de-Dôme and as the crow flies Montbrison in the department of Loire is just 30 km (19 miles) away from Ambert, about 40 km (25 miles) by road. The Fourme de Montbrison AOP is a very similar cheese to the Fourme d’Ambert AOP. It is a long story, too long for this post, but one cheese, now with slight differences has ended up with two names; each with its own right to an AOP label.
Other Auvergne-Rhône-Alps AOP cheeses:
Abondance AOP - A hard, yellow cow’s milk cheeses.
Beaufort AOP - A hard, yellow cow’s milk cheese.
Bleu d’Auvergne – A blue cow’s milk cheese.
Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage AOP - A mild, pasteurized, cow’s milk, blue cheese.
Cantal AOP and Salers AOP – Semi-hard, yellow cow’s milk cheeses.
Chevrotin AOP - A soft, goat's milk cheese.
Fourme de Montbrison AOP - A mild cow’s milk blue cheese,
Picodon AOP or Picadon de l'Ardèche AOP- The first goat's milk cheese to be awarded an AOC.
Reblochon AOP - A soft, cow’s milk cheese.
Rigotte AOP or Rigotte de Condrieu AOP - A soft, goat’s milk cheese.
Saint-Nectaire AOP - A creamy and nutty, semi-firm, cow’s milk cheese.
Tome des Bauges AOP - A semi-hard, cow’s milk cheese.
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------------
Behind the French Menu
by
Bryan G. Newman
behindthefrenchmenu@gmail.com
Copyright
© 2010, 2018, 2023
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