Vacherin (cheese) - Mont D'Or

Mont D'Or

One is a soft, rich, seasonal cheese made from cow's-milk in Switzerland or France, usually in villages of the Jura region (an origin that has been officially controlled since 1981), and has a grayish-yellow washed rind and is called Mont d'Or, or Vacherin du Haut-Doubs, from France, or Vacherin Mont d'Or from Switzerland (though it tends to just be called Vacherin in the local shops). It typically contains 45 to 50 percent milk fat (in dry matter), and is produced between August 15 and March 15, and sold between September 10 and May 10, and the Swiss Vacherin Mont d'or is generally made with pasteurised milk, while the French Vacherin du Haut-Doubs is unpasteurised. It is traditionally made in the Winter months when the cows' come down from Alpage and there is not enough milk to make Comte). It is marketed in round boxes of various diameters made of spruce. It is often served warmed in its original packaging and eaten like a fondue. A popular children's treat, it is often eaten with chocolate spread on special occasions.

Officially, the French AOC/PDO allows Artisanal and Coopérative production of Mont d'or. There are 11 producers of Vacherin in France (2009).