Tomme des

Pyrénées The Pyrenees (; es, Pirineos ; french: Pyrénées ; ca, Pirineu ; eu, Pirinioak ; oc, Pirenèus ; an, Pirineus) is a mountain range straddling the border of France and Spain. It extends nearly from its union with the Cantabrian Mountains to C ...

is a mild French rustic cheese, sometimes prepared covered with a thin skin of black or brownish wax. In January, 2021, it was ascribed protected geographical indication certification and protection, which links the cheese to its specific geographic origin based upon factors such as quality, reputation or other characteristics.

History

It was once made only by small farmers for their own consumption and could be made from three different kinds of milk: cow, goat and ewe. First mentioned in the 12th century, it was eaten by the nobles of Saint-Girons in Ariège and King Louis VI of France also knew the cheese of the Pyrenees. It was only in the 19th century that the manufacture of the cheese moved to a more professional basis, though still hand-crafted.

Manufacture

A pressed cheese, nowadays made equally from raw or pasteurized cows’ milk. Curdled milk is tossed, cut and put in large moulds. It is drained for 24 hours, then salted and aged in cool, humid cellars, where it is turned by hand every day. An aging period of 21 days minimum is permitted for the black-crusted tomme and 45 days minimum for the gold-covered version. The cheese is sometimes covered with wax, such as seal of

paraffin wax Paraffin wax (or petroleum wax) is a soft colorless solid derived from petroleum, coal, or oil shale that consists of a mixture of hydrocarbon molecules containing between 20 and 40 carbon atoms. It is solid at room temperature and begins to ...

. Tomme des Pyrenees is sold in various sizes, with a cylindrical shape and rounded edges. The small tomme is between 450 g and 1.5 kg (corresponding to the old 1 to 3

livres The (; ; abbreviation: ₶.) was one of numerous currencies used in medieval France, and a unit of account (i.e., a monetary unit used in accounting) used in Early Modern France. The 1262 monetary reform established the as 20 , or 80.88 gr ...

( pounds) measures) up to 5.5 kg (12 lb). The texture is supple and the taste is creamy and only slightly salty. The colour is normally ivory white, varying to pale yellows. Tomme des Pyrenees is made and aged entirely within the same place as the milk is produced, by local workshops.

Production totals

An annual production of: * 2,500 tons of cheese made from pasteurized milk by 350 dairy breeders. * 2,500 tons made from raw milk from 450 farms.

Production areas

* In the

Aquitaine Aquitaine ( , , ; oc, Aquitània ; eu, Akitania; Poitevin-Saintongeais: ''Aguiéne''), archaic Guyenne or Guienne ( oc, Guiana), is a historical region of southwestern France and a former administrative region of the country. Since 1 Janu ...

region: the

Pyrénées-Atlantiques Pyrénées-Atlantiques (; Gascon Occitan: ''Pirenèus Atlantics''; eu, Pirinio Atlantiarrak or ) is a department in the southwest corner of France and of the region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine. Named after the Pyrenees mountain range and the Atlant ...

department. * In the

Midi-Pyrénées Midi-Pyrénées (; oc, Miègjorn-Pirenèus or ; es, Mediodía-Pirineos) is a former administrative region of France. Since 1 January 2016, it has been part of the new region of Occitania. It was the largest region of Metropolitan France by ar ...

region: the departments of Ariège and Hautes-Pyrénées and the communes of Saint-Gaudens,

Axat Axat (; ''Atsat'' in Occitan) is a commune in the Aude department in the Occitanie region of southern France. The inhabitants of the commune are known as ''Axatois'' or ''Axatoises''. Geography Axat is located in Cathar country at the door ...

and Belcaire.

References

External links