MEETINGS
CHEESES AND TRADITIONS IN AUVERGNE
When visiting a region and taking interest in its culture and history, it's also worthwhile to discover its gastronomy and the people who produce it,such as the cheese producers often located near charming towns and villages harmonize beautifully and who are delighted to offer tastings of their products alongside your exploration with ancestral
traditions as I have observed in the departments of Cantal and the Puy De Dome in the
Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region.
Located in the heart of the Auvergne Rhône Alpes region, the departments of Cantal and Puy-de-Dôme are authentic lands that enchant with the beauty of their natural spaces, enhanced by a rich and diverse heritage and also found in
the agricultural sector, particularly in cheese production, which is an integral part of the culture and world-renowned
gastronomic specialities of these two territories,mainly showcaded on 5 cheeses from Auvergne: Cantal, Saint Nectaire
Fourme d'Ambert, Bleu d'Auvergne and Salers which all have the Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) certifying the quality of their products,alongside their expertise,origins,and specific locations identified within the framework of local products that are a pleasure to discover as part of tours.
the Auvergne AOC Cheese Road well signposted and spread
over about thirty stages across the two departments concerned allow, in addition to tasting and buying delicious Auvergne cheeses, sharing and exchanging with producers, supplemented by information on the particularities of
Cheese production is often linked to the historical and architectural data of the places where it is made of life also
including visits to farms and their dairy cows that delight young and old. Direction Gelles, a town located in the Puy De
Dôme department, a stone's throw from the Chaîne des Puys mountain range, is where you can meet Nicolas and
Frédéric SUDRE, who own a family farm producing Bleu d'Auvergne and Fourmes d'Ambert cheeses."
Our products are
made according to rules inherited from ancestral traditions, incorporating on-farm finishing technicals such as
for Bleu d'Auvergne, which is produced from cow's milk supplemented with Penicium Roqueforti, to then be
inoculated with lactic ferments then renneted followed by several phases ranging from stirring to obtain the grains are
capped, then salted and pricking to provide the oxygen necessary for the proper production of the blue dye. Our other
Fourme d'Ambert, a flagship product whose history specifies that the Gallic druids were also fine gourmets, enjoyed it.
they liked to enjoy it as part of their religious services, particularly in Pierre Sur Haute in the Monts Du Haut Forez
has specific characteristics since it is produced with cow's milk collected between 600 and 1600 meters altitude for
then make it into a soft and smooth paste, white to cream in color, marbled with blue and green molds, which make it a deliciously fragrant quality cheese, complemented by succulent aromas. This fine ambassador of Auvergne gastronomy, like the 4 other AOC-certified cheeses from the Auvergne region, delights those who enjoy great and succulent meals accompanied by cheese platters, as well as great chefs who create delicious recipes adapted especially for starters, appetizers, and desserts with Fourme d'Ambert and its unforgettable flavors".Nicolas and Frédéric SUDRE explain to me.
The Expression of Its Gastronomic Richness
After a jaunt along the radiant Chaudefour Valley, parallel to the majestic views of the Puy de Sancy and Puy de Montchal, I meet up with Thibaud, Thierry and Tristan SARLIEVE at the place called Montaleix in the commune of
CHAMBON SUR LAC who welcome me to their farm also called "Ferme Oiseau" which, in addition to production
Saint Nectaire cheeses, also produce fresh tome cheese and traditional Auvergne charcuterie."Appointed Until the 17th
century, Saint-Nectaire, a rye cheese due to its ripening on straw, was a cheese whose the manufactoring process is
either carried out using pasteurized milk in a dairy or using raw milk in a dairy setting made on a farm after the dairy
cows have been milked.Its production stages are multiple which range from renneting, curd cutting, salting, pressing unmolding and cold setting followed by a staggered maturation over a minimum of 28 days allowing for a harmonious
and subtle development of flavors and aromas enhanced with a hint of hazelnut, expressing all the diversity of the
sumptuous meadows and radiant mountains in Auvergne" the three men explained to me while enjoying this delicious
cheese.Exploring the roads of Puy De Dome is a real treat where you often encounter breathtaking landscapes that you
also find in the Cantal region of further afield a visit to the village of Salers; I meet up with Sébastien and Cathy BADUEL
at the Clédart farm located in the city of Fontanges in the heart of the Cantal volcanic area"Salers cheese is made
exclusively with raw milk in a wooden gerle with a minimum maturation period of 3 months, also including markings
" Salers Traditions "
certifying its production with milk from Salers breed cows and in addition to the orientation of the
pastures or even to its ripening conditions, Salers cheese also develops different aromas which can be either vegetal or
lactic or fruity. Bearing the name of the department and the oldest of the Auvergne PDO cheeses, the
“Cantal”
whose
the manufacturing process is similar to that of Salers, which is also a succulent cheese that is divided into 3 distinct categories: Young Cantal, Entre-Deux Cantal,and Old Cantal,and which, with its different aromatic variations,is pleasant to eat.
Sébastien and Cathy BADUEL explain this to me while cutting a piece of Cantal Vieux cheese on a raw table and
the Auvergne region, rich in its diversity, incorporating sumptuous territories where they combine in the enduring
history, culture, lifestyle, and gastronomy of this place have a particularity in maintaining traditions that it is always
exciting to discover and which are a very vivid expression of its cultural and gastronomic richness.
Report by: Gabriel PAGE
Photos credit: Gabriel PAGE / Getty Images
TERROIR AND TRADITIONS
From great mountains to radiant authentic cities where history,culture,way of life and gastronomy are constantly
combining , discover THE DESTINATION AUVERGNE
by clicking on the URL link to our website.
