Reblochon

The cheese

Born of the cunning of 13th-century Savoyard farmers who "reblochaient" the cow (drew the rich remaining milk a second time) after the landlord's visit, AOP Reblochon is a washed-rind, semi-soft cheese with an orange-tinted crust. Made in Haute-Savoie from raw milk of Abondance, Montbéliarde and Tarine cows, it comes in small 450 g discs aged at least six weeks on spruce boards. The paste — supple, melting, almost runny at the centre — releases lactic, vegetal and hazelnut aromas with a signature crème-fraîche finish. Tartiflette, the quintessential Alpine dish, exists only through it — a gratin of potatoes, bacon, onions and melted Reblochon. Also perfect as-is with rye bread and a glass of Roussette de Savoie.