Fourme d’Ambert PDO Cheese

Description

Fourme d’Ambert PDO Cheese

About Fourme d’Ambert PDO

What’s a Fourme?

The name itself tells us something about the cheese.

Fourme comes from an old word related to the Latin forma, meaning a form or mould, and refers to the distinctive shape in which the cheese is made.

And Fourme d’Ambert really is an unusual shape.

Rather than the wide wheels we see with many cheeses, it’s made as a tall, narrow cylinder. It’s one of those cheeses that’s instantly recognisable when you see a whole one standing on the counter.

Cheesemaking has a very long history in the Auvergne and cheeses of this style have been associated with the region for centuries. Fourme d’Ambert takes its name from the town of Ambert, although today its protected production area extends across a much wider part of the region.

Protected PDO Tradition

Fourme d’Ambert is protected by PDO status, which defines where and how the cheese can be made.

It’s made from cow’s milk before being formed into those characteristic cylinders. Penicillium roqueforti is used to create the blue mould and, during maturation, the cheeses are pierced to allow oxygen inside.

That’s important because blue mould needs oxygen to grow.

If you’ve ever wondered why blue cheese develops veins rather than simply turning completely blue, those little spaces and channels inside the cheese give the mould somewhere to flourish.

The cheese must be matured for a minimum period before it can be sold as Fourme d’Ambert, giving the blue time to develop while retaining the creamy, relatively gentle character that makes this cheese so approachable.

Fourme d’Ambert – Jen’s Tasting Notes

How to Serve and Pair Fourme d’Ambert PDO

• Make sure you take it out of the fridge a good hour before you want to eat it so it can come up to room temperature.
• Classic pairing: I’m a big fan of sweet wine with blue cheese and Sauternes works beautifully here. You get that lovely sweetness against the saltiness of the blue without overwhelming Fourme d’Ambert’s gentler flavours.
• Something a little different: Try a blonde ale. The gentle maltiness works nicely with the creamy, nutty cheese while the carbonation keeps everything fresh.
• On the plate: Keep it simple. Fresh pear, a few walnuts and some plain crackers are really all you need.
• In the kitchen: Fourme d’Ambert melts beautifully, so it’s a really useful blue for sauces, quiches and gratins. Because it isn’t overwhelmingly strong, you still get blue cheese flavour without everything else in the dish disappearing.

Jen’s note: Fourme d’Ambert is one of the cheeses I reach for when someone tells me, “I don’t like blue cheese.” I’m not trying to prove them wrong — nobody has to like every cheese — but sometimes they simply haven’t met the right blue yet. And this gentle, creamy French classic has converted more than a few people over the years.

Buying Fourme d’Ambert PDO

• Brand or Producer: Fromagerie St Flour
• Product name: Fourme d’Ambert PDO
• Milk: Cow
• Country: France
• Region: Auvergne
• Strength: Medium
• Vegetarian: No
• Suitable for pregnancy: No
• Allergens: MILK

Sizes and Prices

• 100g wedge, £2.50
• 500g wedge, £12.50

Storage Advice

• Keep refrigerated
• Wrap in waxed paper or cling film
• Remove from the fridge before serving
• Consume within 10 to 14 days of opening

Delivery and Collection

• UK wide courier delivery
• Click and collect from our Pangbourne shop
• Free local delivery available for selected postcodes

Ingredients (Allergens are listed in capitals)

MILK, starter cultures, rennet, salt, Penicillium Roqueforti