Abondance cheese facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Abondance |
|
|---|---|
.jpg) |
|
| Country of origin | France |
| Region, town | Haute-Savoie, Abondance |
| Source of milk | Cows |
| Pasteurised | No |
| Texture | semi-hard |
| Aging time | 90 days |
| Certification | French AOC 1990 |
| Named after | Lua error in Module:Wikidata at line 70: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). |
Abondance is a special kind of cheese from France. It is a semi-hard cheese with a unique smell. This cheese is made from raw cow's milk. It comes from the Haute-Savoie area in France. The cheese gets its name from a small town called Abondance.
A whole wheel of Abondance cheese weighs about 10 kilograms (22 pounds). Its smell is similar to another French cheese called Beaufort. Abondance cheese is made only from the milk of specific cow breeds. These breeds are the Abondance, Montbéliarde, and Tarine cows.
Contents
About Abondance Cheese
What Makes Abondance Special?
Abondance is a semi-hard cheese. This means it is firm but not too hard. It has a rich, fragrant smell. The cheese is made using raw milk. This means the milk is not heated to a very high temperature before cheesemaking.
Each wheel of Abondance cheese is quite large. It usually weighs around 10 kilograms (about 22 pounds). The flavor and smell of Abondance are often compared to Beaufort cheese. Beaufort is another famous French cheese.
Where Does Abondance Come From?
Abondance cheese is made in the Haute-Savoie region of France. This area is known for its beautiful mountains. The cheese is named after the small town of Abondance in this region.
The milk for Abondance cheese comes from special cows. These cows are the Abondance, Montbéliarde, and Tarine breeds. By 2022, at least 55 percent of the cows in the herd must be from these specific breeds. This rule helps keep the cheese's quality and tradition.
How is Abondance Cheese Made?
Abondance cheese can be made in two ways. It can be artisanal, meaning it's made by skilled cheesemakers. Or it can be farm-made, meaning it's made right on the farm. Both methods follow strict rules.
The cheese must age for at least three months. It ages on special spruce boards. These boards help give the cheese its unique flavor. The aging process is very important for the final taste.
A Bit of History
The Abondance region has been making cheese for a very long time. People have known about this cheese since at least the 1300s. Monks from the Sainte Marie d'Abondance Monastery were famous cheesemakers. They even supplied cheese to important meetings in Avignon. These meetings were called papal conclaves.
In 1990, Abondance cheese received a special certification. It was granted an Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC). This French certification protects the name and quality of products. It means that only cheese made in a certain way and in a specific area can be called Abondance.
See also
In Spanish: Abondance (queso) para niños
