Now, if there's ever a story to be told about cheese - it has to be about the Vacherin Mont d'Or. An absolute delicacy (undisputed), a dangerous cheese (disputed), and a storied past. Legend has it that the recipe was brought to Les Charbonnières by a soldier of the Bourbaki army in 1871. However, documents found later tell of deliveries as far back as 1845.

The Vacherin Mont d'Or is one of the most searched for delicacies in Switzerland and France, but it also got some infamous reputation, especially after a listeria case in France in the 1980's.

Nowadays, the cheese is not made of raw but thermized milk. And the 12 producers in Switzerland are under constant quality and safety control of the AOC (Appélation d'origine controlée). This is the most supervised and controlled cheese in the world. Inspections are weekly, a computer system installed in 2017 is like the guardian over safety and quality. (For more got to: vacherin-montdor.ch/?lang=en)

Our Vacherin Mont d'Or is called Petit Vaccarinus, referring to another legend and a monk of that name who allegedly produced the Vacherin Mont d'Or. It is made by Patrick Hauser in Le Lieu in the famous Vallée de Joux. Our partners gave it this name because it is not in every aspect according to the requirements of the AOC. The Hausers heat the milk to a higher temperature. They also age it longer.

The product is seasonal from September to March when the cows are fed mostly hay. The fir band which by government decree is part of the weight gives it some tannin flavors.