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Bleu d'Auvergne

Name of Group of Producers

Aucert

27 rue Georges Besse ZI le Brézet-Est 63 100 CLERMONT-FERRAND
Tel: (33 4) 73.17.33.80
Fax: (33 4) 73.29.03.96

Cow's-milk cheese with veined paste in the form of a flat cylinder. The large sizes weigh two to three kilogrammes; there are smaller sizes weighing one kilogramme, 500 grammes or 350 grammes.

Geographical area: The heart of the Massif Central, comprising the départements of Puy-de-Dôme and Cantal and some communes belonging to adjacent départements.

The origin of this cheese goes back to the beginning of the 19th century, when it was produced in the high volcanic terrain of the Massif Central. Its reputation spread quickly as far as Paris, where its praises were sung in 1879 by the cabaret singer Francisque Bethol.

Production of the cheese still consists of the same operations as in the past: draining the curds, putting them into moulds, salting by hand twice with dry cooking salt, during which the cheese is turned over several times; it is then jabbed with long needles, this aeration of the paste allowing the Pénicillium glaucum to develop. The cheese is then ripened in cellars, the large sizes for at least four weeks and the small sizes for at least two weeks.

The area in which Bleu d'Auvergne is produced is a natural geographical unit characterized by its volcanic and granitic soils, rich in trace elements, and harsh climate, which result in a very specific type of flora; this helps to make Bleu d'Auvergne so unique, a uniqueness that is reinforced by the use of special colonies of Pénicillium developed and produced in the Bleu d'Auvergne area. The methods used for draining the curds, as well as the salting by hand, give Bleu d'Auvergne very fine veins, evenly spread over the paste, which distinguish it from other blue cheeses.