Vacherin
Vacherin is a French and Swiss cow's milk cheese made in two main styles: the soft, seasonal Mont d'Or from the Jura, sold in fir wood boxes, and the firmer Vacherin Fribourgeois from the canton of Fribourg. Both are staples of fondue.
Key Facts
| Country of Origin | France, Switzerland |
| Specific Origin | Jura |
| Milk Type | Cow's milk |
| Milk Treatment | Thermized (Swiss Vacherin Mont d'Or) or raw (French Vacherin du Haut-Doubs) |
| Fat Content | 45-50% |
| Rind | Washed |
| Texture | Soft, artisan |
| Flavor | Smooth |
| Aroma | Rich |
| Colors | Pale yellow |
| Forms | Round boxes of various diameters made of thin strips of fir wood |
| Age | Vacherin Fribourgeois: 6 to 25 weeks depending on variety |
| Also Known As | Vacherin Mont d'Or, Vacherin Mont d'Or AOC |
What is Vacherin Cheese?
Vacherin takes its name from vache, French for cow. Two main types exist, and both can be French or Swiss. The soft one goes by Mont d'Or or Vacherin du Haut-Doubs in France and Vacherin Mont d'Or in Switzerland, though local shops usually just call it Vacherin. Its origin has been officially controlled since 1981.
Mont d'Or comes from villages in the Jura region. It is a winter cheese by tradition, made when the cows come down from the alpage, the mountain pastures, and there is no longer enough milk for Comte. Production runs from 15 August to 15 March, and sales from 10 September to 10 May. The Swiss version uses thermized milk, since pasteurization is not allowed; the French Vacherin du Haut-Doubs is unpasteurized. The French AOC allows both farmhouse and cooperative production. In 2009 there were 11 Vacherin producers in France.
The cheese is soft and rich, with a greyish yellow washed rind, and typically carries 45 to 50 percent milk fat in dry matter. It is sold in round boxes of various diameters built from thin strips of fir wood, harvested by specialists known as sanglier. The cheese is often served hot in that original box and eaten as fondue.
The other type, Vacherin Fribourgeois, is a firmer Swiss cheese produced under Swiss AOC in the canton of Fribourg, home of Gruyere as well. The taste is slightly acidic and resinous, close to Italian fontina, and its strength shifts with age and variety. Six varieties hold AOC status: Classic at 6 to 12 weeks, Extra at a minimum of 12 weeks, Rustic from 12 up to 25 weeks, Alpage at 12 to 25 weeks, Mountain at 9 to 25 weeks, and Bio at a minimum of 9 weeks. It is a base component of many fondues, depending on the recipe. Vacherin d'alpage, made from the milk of cows grazing alpine meadows, tastes far more distinctive. The older any Vacherin gets, the stronger its ammonia smell.
How Does Vacherin Cheese Compare?
The most relevant cheeses to compare Vacherin against.
