Reblochon was born in the Aravis Massif and was awarded “appellation d’origine contrôlée” (AOC) status in 1958. The capital of Reblochon is Thônes, between Lake Annecy and the Aravis mountains.

The name “Reblochon” comes from the verb “re-blocher”, which, in the 13th Century, meant “milk for a second time”. The tenant farmers milked their cows once for their owner and then secretly milked them again for their own benefit, thus avoiding having to pay too high a tax. They milk from this 2nd milking is very creamy and ideal for making cheese.

There are only three breeds of cows in the herds selected to make Reblochon: “Abondance”, “Tarine” and “Montbéliarde”. The cows are fed totally naturally: they graze in the alpine pastures from May to October and eat fodder in the stable in winter.

Reblochon is made either directly at the farm or the milk has been collected (green spot on the cheese), either in a dairy or cooperative cheese dairy that receives different batches of milk collected by lorry (red spot on the cheese). After milking, the milk goes through various processes (fermentation, curdling, mixing, etc.); the resulting curd is separated from the whey and set out in moulds. The cheeses are pressed, then soaked in brine, rinsed and dried for 10 days.
They then spend a few weeks maturing in a cellar; the lovely taste and texture of the Reblochon will depend very much on how it is looked after during this period.
The cheeses are then packed between 2 thin sheets of spruce and distributed to markets and shops… before being enjoyed by food-lovers!

Did you know?
It takes an average of four litres of unpasteurised full milk to make a 500-gramme Reblochon.
Reblochon is particularly tasty in spring and summer.
Warm bread and dried fruit go beautifully with Reblochon.
Grapes, figs and apricots bring out the soul of a Reblochon!