Abondance cheese

Abondance is a semi-hard, fragrant, raw-milk cheese made in the Haute-Savoie department of France, and it takes its name from the small commune of Abondance. A round weighs about 10 kilograms, its aroma is comparable to that of Beaufort, and it has a nutty taste. The cheese has been known since at least the 14th century, when monks of the Sainte Marie d'Abondance Monastery are recorded as supplying it to the papal conclave at Avignon. It received an appellation d'origine controlee in 1990 and also holds a protected designation of origin, so makers must follow strict traditional rules. It is made from the milk of the Abondance, Montbeliarde and Taurine breeds of cattle, with the Abondance breed making up at least 55 percent of the herd, and it is aged for a minimum of three months on specially prepared spruce boards.