Abondance Cheese: A Taste of the Savoie Mountains
In the Val d’Abondance, you hear the cow bells before you see the herd. Their milk makes one of the most loved cheeses of the French Alps: abondance, a raw milk cheese from Haute-Savoie, with a nutty, mild taste and an AOP label. Let’s see how it is made, how to enjoy it, and where to buy it.
Where abondance cheese comes from
Abondance cheese is made only in Haute-Savoie. Its home is the Val d’Abondance, the valley that gave the cheese its name.
The name has a second source: the Abondance cow, the breed that gives the milk. The cows mostly eat grass and hay from the valley.
The story is old. In the 12th century, this cheese was already on the table at big religious dinners.
Today the cheese is protected. It received the AOC label (Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée) in 1990, and the AOP label (Appellation d’Origine Protégée) in 1996. AOP means you can only make this cheese in a defined area, with strict rules.
How abondance cheese is made, and what it tastes like
Abondance is a semi-hard pressed cheese made with raw cow’s milk. Raw milk means the milk is not pasteurized.
The cheesemaker takes the milk from the evening and from the morning. Traditionally, the milk is mixed in a copper vat.
The last step is the ripening. The cheese stays in a cellar for at least 100 days.
The result is a cheese with a nutty taste. It is mild, not sweet. It is also rich and filling: when you eat it, you feel that it is a real cheese with a lot of body.
It is not a big industrial product. In 2023, the production was about 3,579 tons of abondance cheese.
How to eat abondance cheese: fondue, other dishes and wine pairing
You can eat abondance cheese raw, with fresh bread. You can also cook with it. Three dishes from Savoie are very popular:
- Fondue: a mix of cheeses cooked with white wine. You eat it with bread. Abondance cheese is a great choice for a fondue.
- Berthoud: a small individual dish, baked in a terracotta ramekin. It is made with abondance cheese, garlic, white wine, and a little fortified wine like Madeira or Porto. Add some pepper on top, then bake it in the oven until the cheese is melted and golden.
- Croûte au fromage: a slice of bread topped with abondance cheese and white wine mixed with garlic, baked in the oven, on a plate or in a ramekin. You can add ham or bacon, mushrooms, mustard, or an egg on top.
Abondance cheese wine pairing
Abondance cheese is quite fat, so you need a wine that balances it. Wines from Savoie work very well.
Red wine: choose a light and fresh red, with soft, sweet red fruit. Not a strong wine.
- Pinot Noir
- Gamay
- Mondeuse
White wine: choose a dry white with good acidity. It balances the fat of the cheese.
- Chasselas
- Roussanne
- Savagnin
- Chardonnay
Where to visit and buy abondance cheese
The best way to know this cheese is to go to the source. Two places let you see the production, taste the cheese and buy it:
- Maison du Fromage Abondance : see the production, taste, and buy.
- Fruitière de La Chapelle d’Abondance : see the production, taste, and buy. If you want to visit, call them first to be sure you can come in.
Both are in the valley. Take time to walk around, too. The cows, the mountains and the sound of the bells are part of the cheese.
You do not have to go to the valley to taste it, though. You can find abondance cheese all over France, in cheese shops and in supermarkets. French people know this cheese and love it, so it is easy to find.
