Tomme des Pyrenees
Encyclopedia
History
It was once made only by small farmers for their own consumption and could be made from three different kinds of milk: cow, goat and ewe.First mentioned in the 12th century, it was eaten by the nobles of St-Girons in Ariège
Ariège
Ariège is a department in southwestern France named after the Ariège River.- History :Ariège is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790. It was created from the counties of Foix and Couserans....
and King Louis VI of France
Louis VI of France
Louis VI , called the Fat , was King of France from 1108 until his death . Chronicles called him "roi de Saint-Denis".-Reign:...
also knew the cheese of the Pyrenees. It was only in the 19th century that the manufacture of the cheese moved to a more professional basis, though still hand-crafted.
Manufacture
A pressed cheese, nowadays made equally from raw or pasteurized cows’ milk. Curdled milk is tossed, cut and put in large moulds. It is drained for 24 hours, then salted and aged in cool, humid cellars, where it is turned by hand every day. An aging period of 21 days minimum is permitted for the black-crusted tomme and 45 days minimum for the gold-covered version. The covering is a seal of paraffin wax.Tomme des Pyrenees is sold in various sizes of cylindrical shape with rounded edges. The small tomme is between 450 g and 1.5 kg (corresponding to the old 1 to 3 livre
Livré
Livré-la-Touche is a commune in the Mayenne department in north-western France. Prior to October 6, 2008, it was known as Livré....
s (pounds
Pound (mass)
The pound or pound-mass is a unit of mass used in the Imperial, United States customary and other systems of measurement...
) measures) up to 5.5 kg (12 lb
Pound (mass)
The pound or pound-mass is a unit of mass used in the Imperial, United States customary and other systems of measurement...
). The texture is supple and the taste is creamy and only slightly salty. The colour is normally ivory white, varying to pale yellows.
Tomme des Pyrenees is made and aged entirely within the same place as the milk is produced, by local business’ workshops.
Production totals
An annual production of:- 2,500 tons of cheese made from pasteurized milk by 350 dairy breeders.
- 2,500 tons made from raw milk from 450 farms.
Production areas
- In the AquitaineAquitaineAquitaine , archaic Guyenne/Guienne , is one of the 27 regions of France, in the south-western part of metropolitan France, along the Atlantic Ocean and the Pyrenees mountain range on the border with Spain. It comprises the 5 departments of Dordogne, :Lot et Garonne, :Pyrénées-Atlantiques, Landes...
region: the Pyrénées-AtlantiquesPyrénées-AtlantiquesPyrénées-Atlantiques is a department in the southwest of France which takes its name from the Pyrenees mountains and the Atlantic Ocean.- History :...
department. - In the Midi-PyrénéesMidi-PyrénéesMidi-Pyrénées is the largest region of metropolitan France by area, larger than the Netherlands or Denmark.Midi-Pyrénées has no historical or geographical unity...
region: the departments of AriègeAriègeAriège is a department in southwestern France named after the Ariège River.- History :Ariège is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790. It was created from the counties of Foix and Couserans....
and Hautes-PyrénéesHautes-PyrénéesHautes-Pyrénées is a department in southwestern France. It is part of the Midi-Pyrénées region.-History:...
and the communes of Saint-GaudensSaint-GaudensSaint-Gaudens is a commune and a sub-prefecture of the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern France.Saint-Gaudens lies at an altitude of 405 m on a ledge overlooking the valley of the Garonne...
, AxatAxatAxat is a commune in the Aude department in southern France.Axat is a pretty tourist town dituated on the D118 in the high valley of Aude. Surrounded by mountains and gorges, the narrowest Gorges St Georges is only 3 km away. The River Aude runs through Axat making a picturesque setting and a...
and BelcaireBelcaireBelcaire is a commune in the Aude department, part of the ancient Languedoc province and the present-day Languedoc-Roussillon region in southern France.-Population:-References:*...
.