Abondance
Name of Group of Producers
Chambre d’Agriculture, Chemin d'Hirmentaz, 16
74200 Thonon les Bains
CERTIPAQ
44 rue de la Quintinie 75
015 PARIS
Tel: (33 1) 45.30.92.92
Fax: (33 1)45.30.93.00
Made from raw cow's milk and consisting of a semi-cooked paste in the shape of a round weighing 7 to 12 kilogrammes with a concave heel, ripened for a minimum of three months.
Geographical area : The mountainous area of High Savoy {Haute Savoie), the birthplace of the cheese being the Abondance valley.
From before the year 1000, the canons of the Abondance monastery developed the rearing of cows of the Abondance breed, brought to the region by the Burgundians, and the production of a high-quality cheese. In 1381, when the conclave met in Avignon to elect a new pope, 15 quintals (1 500 kilogrammes) of Abondance were sent down there. King Louis XIV was partial to Abondance and since then the cheese has maintained its reputation.
The milk, obtained from cows of the Tarine, Abondance and Montbéliarde breeds, is used in its raw state as soon as possible after milking. The cheese is moulded under cloth within a wooden hoop, which gives the cheese its concave form. The ripening process takes a minimum of three months.
