Fourme d'Ambert 
Fourme d'Ambert is a semi-hard blue cheese from the Auvergne region of France, sold in a narrow cylinder. One of the country's oldest cheeses, it dates back to Roman times and is inoculated with Penicillium roqueforti.
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Key Facts
| Country of Origin | France |
| Specific Origin | Auvergne region |
| Protection | PDO (1996), AOC (1972) |
| Milk Type | Cow's milk |
| Milk Treatment | Mostly pasteurized, some raw |
| Rind | Light gray-blue |
| Texture | Semi-hard |
| Flavor | Mild blue cheese |
| Aroma | Underwood |
| Colors | Ivory, Blue |
| Forms | Upright and cylindrical, 4–6 lbs |
| Age | Minimum 28 days from the date of renneting |
| Alternative Spellings | Forma d'Embèrt |
What is Fourme d'Ambert Cheese?
Fourme d'Ambert is a semi-hard blue cheese from the Auvergne region of France. It is one of France's oldest cheeses and dates from as far back as Roman times. In the Auvergnat language it is called Forma d'Embèrt.
The cheese is made from cow's milk, inoculated with Penicillium roqueforti spores, and aged for at least 28 days. Industry and cooperatives most often use pasteurized milk. Artisanal producers have more recently gone back to raw milk, and farm or fermier production has restarted as well. Four farmers now make up to 35 tonnes (38.58 tons) of fourme d'Ambert fermière AOP a year from raw milk.
Its shape sets it apart: a distinct, narrow cylinder. The paste carries the blue veining that the Penicillium roqueforti produces.
Fourme de Montbrison is almost identical, and the two cheeses shared a single AOC from 1972 until 2002, when each was recognized separately with slight differences in how it is made. A likeness of the cheese sits sculpted above the entrance to a medieval chapel in La Chaulme, Puy-de-Dôme.
How Does Fourme d'Ambert Cheese Compare?
The most relevant cheeses to compare Fourme d'Ambert against.
