Tomme de Savoie and Abondance

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Tomme de Savoie (IGP 1996) and Abondance (AOC 1990) represent two essential tiers of the Savoyard cheese hierarchy — the everyday mountain cheese and the refined semi-hard that together, with Reblochon and Beaufort, form the four pillars of Savoie's cheese identity. Tomme de Savoie is the people's cheese: a medium wheel (1.5-3kg, 18-21cm diameter) made from partly skimmed raw or thermized cow's milk (the cream is removed for butter-making, and the remaining milk is used for Tomme — hence its relatively low fat content of 20-40%). The rind is grey-brown, often covered with yellow and red moulds that develop naturally during the 2-4 month affinage in humid cellars. The paste is semi-firm, slightly elastic, with a mild, nutty, earthy flavor — less complex than Beaufort or Reblochon but deeply satisfying as a daily cheese. Tomme is the cheese of the alpine farmer's breakfast, sliced thick and eaten with bread, butter, and jam. Abondance is more refined: an AOC cheese (medium wheel, 7-12kg) made from raw milk of the Abondance breed (a specific Savoyard cattle breed developed by Augustinian monks at the Abbaye d'Abondance since the 12th century). The cheese is semi-cooked (heated to 45-50°C, between the uncooked Reblochon and the fully cooked Beaufort), pressed, and aged 3-6 months. The rind is amber, smooth, and rubbed; the paste is ivory with a supple texture and small, scattered eyes. The flavor: pronounced nuttiness, butter, a hint of mountain herbs, and a slightly fruity tang. Abondance was the cheese served at the papal table during the Avignon papacy (14th century). In the kitchen: Tomme de Savoie melts well in gratins and is used in the péla (see separate entry). Abondance is a fondue cheese (sometimes replacing one-third of the Beaufort) and a superb eating cheese.

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