Bonjour mes amis! Today, June 17, Lee and I decided to drive to Beaufort, a small rural town in the French Alps near Albertville. We have so enjoyed Beaufort cheese this year, which we have purchased often at the Saturday marchés. We decided to discover the French town which gives this special cheese its name. Beaufort was known during Roman times. Beaufort cheeses come in three versions: Beaufort, Beaufort d'été (summer Beaufort) and Beaufort d'Alpage (in the Alps mountains). The last one is made with milk from Tarine (Tarentaise) cows. They live in the mountains and graze on natural pastures. People who eat this cheese claim that when they eat a piece of Beaufort, they can feel the flowers and grass of the mountains!! It takes approximately 130 gallons of milk to make a wheel of Beaufort which weighs 99 lbs. Beaufort needs to age at least 4 to 6 months in a mountain cellar or cool place which maintains this cool temperature throughout the year. Beaufort is richer and creamier than other mountain cheeses such as Gruyère, Comté, or Emmental. Beaufort has a nice scent of milk, butter, and honey. Beaufort is often served with smoked salmon. We have tasted Beaufort in Savoyard fondue which is often served on snowy winter evenings in Savoie. Today we had a delicious sandwich de jambon et fromage but today's fromage was delicious Beaufort!
Mme. Wallace
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