Tomme des Pyrénées 
Tomme des Pyrénées is a mild pressed cheese from the French Pyrenees, made from raw or pasteurized cow's milk. It is known for its supple paste, slightly salty taste, and the black or gold wax skin that covers many wheels.
Key Facts
| Country of Origin | France |
| Specific Origin | French side of the Pyrenees |
| Protection | PGI (1996) |
| Milk Type | Cow's milk, goat's milk, mixed milk (cow's milk with ewe's milk or goat's milk, goat's milk with ewe's milk) |
| Milk Treatment | Heat-treated or raw |
| Fat Content | 24 g of fat per 100 g of cheese |
| Rind | Orange with hints of white, yellow, or grey; black or gold coating for heat-treated milk cheeses |
| Texture | Soft, melty, creamy, becomes firmer as it ripens |
| Flavor | Varies from fresh whey aromas to more pronounced aromas |
| Aroma | Fresh whey to more pronounced aromas |
| Colors | White to ivory to yellow |
| Forms | Whole, cut, pre-packaged |
| Age | Minimum ripening period varies from 21 to 90 days depending on weight and milk type |
| Rennet Type | Coagulating enzyme (not limited to animal rennet) |
| Also Known As | Toma de Pirenèus (Occitan) |
What is Tomme des Pyrénées Cheese?
Tomme des Pyrénées is a rustic French cheese from the Pyrenees. It was first mentioned in the 12th century, when the nobles of Saint-Girons in Ariège ate it and King Louis VI of France knew the cheese of the Pyrenees. For centuries small farmers made it for their own households, using cow, goat or ewe milk. Production moved to a professional but still hand-crafted footing in the 19th century, and in January 2021 the cheese received protected geographical indication status.
Today it is made about equally from raw and pasteurized cows' milk. The curdled milk is tossed, cut and packed into large moulds, drained for 24 hours, then salted and moved to cool, humid cellars, where each wheel is turned by hand every day. The black-crusted tomme ages at least 21 days and the gold-covered version at least 45. Some wheels are finished with a seal of paraffin wax.
Wheels are cylindrical with rounded edges and come in several sizes. The small tomme runs from 450 g to 1.5 kg, matching the old measure of 1 to 3 livres, and larger wheels reach 5.5 kg (12 lb). The texture is supple. The taste is creamy and only slightly salty, and the paste is usually ivory white shading into pale yellow.
Around 2,500 tons a year come from pasteurized milk produced by 350 dairy breeders, with another 2,500 tons made from raw milk on 450 farms. The cheese is made and aged by local workshops in the same place the milk is produced, in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department, in Ariège and Hautes-Pyrénées, and in the communes of Saint-Gaudens, Axat and Belcaire.
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