Bleu de Termignon

Bleu de Termignon showing very little blue mould development. X-Javier / wikimedia / 2016 / CC BY-SA 4.0

Bleu de Termignon is a rare, raw-milk farmhouse blue cheese made in south-eastern France. Termignon is the name of a small village.

Characteristics

Bleu de Termignon cheese has a thick, brown, slightly-sticky crust with patches of mould red on it. Inside the cheese is ivory to yellowish, with varied blueing.

Sometimes the blue mould that develops in the cheese will be sparse and veiny, sometimes well-marbled, sometimes just hazy towards the crust, and sometimes there will be no blueing at all. The amount of blue mould in the cheese varies from cheese to cheese, from maker to maker, from year to year, and can depend as well on the techniques used by any affineur (cheese ager) who has purchased the cheeses for further aging.

The cheese has an aromatic, rustic, almost flowery smell.

The interior paste of the cheese offers varying textures: granular or sandy in some spots, creamy in others. The complex, strong taste has pronounced herbal tones to it, sometimes with a slight background bitter note to round it off.

The cheese is made in straight-sided wheels that are 30 to 35 cm wide (12 to 14 inches), and from 15 to 20 cm tall (6 to 8 inches). Estimates of the weight of the wheels varies: you will hear 7 to 10 kg or 8 to 14 kg (15 to 30 lbs), likely varying by cheesemaker.

Each year’s production of the cheese starts going on sale at the end of the summers. Each cheese is numbered by its maker.

Bleu de Termignon is called by many the rarest cheese in France as there are so few producers of it. In 2022, it sold for about 27 to 44 euros per kg. ^[1]Le bleu de Termignon : le fromage le plus rare de France. Paroles de Fromagers. 6 March 2017. Accessed October 2022 at https://parolesdefromagers.com/bleu-de-termignon-fromage-plus-rare-de-france/

Bleu de Termignon is also sometimes known by the names of Bleu du Mont-Cenis or Bleu de Bessans. ^[2]l’Economie Laitière. Bleu de Termignon. Accessed October 2022 at https://www.produits-laitiers-de-france.com/fromages/bleu-de-termignon/

Production

Bleu de Termignon is made in the Savoy region of France in the high French alps (with an elevation of over 2,000 metres) of the Haute Maurienne mountain pastures in the Termignon village area, which is on France’s south-eastern border with Italy and at the edge of Vanoise National Park.

It is made only in the summers between June and September / October ^[3]Centre National Interprofessionnel de l’Economie Laitière. Bleu de Termignon. Accessed October 2022 at https://www.produits-laitiers-de-france.com/fromages/bleu-de-termignon/ . This time period is dictated by the long, harsh winters where the cheese is made. It’s only in mid-June, when the snow has melted enough to allow the regrowth of the vegetation, that the Tarine and Abondance breeds of cows, whose milk is used for the cheese, can be set back out to pasture.

There are just a handful of producers, though the exact number that you see cited will vary by year. In 2004, there was just one producer left at the time, a woman named Catherine Richard, at Entre-Deux-Eaux. Her mother had made the cheese before her. Her cows graze in the National Park of Vanoise. By 2012, there were six producers: Catherine Richard, Marcel and Ghislaine Bantin, Bernard Richard, Odile Suiffet, Frédéric Muller and the Rosaz family. ^[4]Etchegoyen, Marie. Le Bleu de Termignon un fromage rare et atypique de Haute Maurienne. 3 May 2012. Accessed October 2022 at https://www.mercotte.fr/2012/05/03/le-bleu-de-termignon-un-fromage-rare-et-atypique-de-haute-maurienne/ . As of February 2020, there seem to have been four producers according to Radio France, of which two were Catherine Richard, and the Bantins. ^[5]Gaudry, François-Régis. Le bleu de Termignon. Radio interview. 1 February 2020. Accessed October 2022 at https://www.radiofrance.fr/franceinter/podcasts/le-marche-de-francois-regis-gaudry/le-bleu-de-termignon-8672139

Bleu de Termignon from Mons Cheesemongers on Vimeo.

The exact procedure used by each producer may vary but the following is an overview of the techniques involved.

100 to 120 litres of milk are needed for each wheel of cheese, depending on the size of wheel that the individual cheesemaker produces. ^[6]Etchegoyen, Marie. Le Bleu de Termignon un fromage rare et atypique de Haute Maurienne. 3 May 2012. Accessed October 2022 at https://www.mercotte.fr/2012/05/03/le-bleu-de-termignon-un-fromage-rare-et-atypique-de-haute-maurienne/

Reserved milk from yesterday is mixed with milk from today, and heated to a range of 36 C to 39 C (97 to 102 F). Calves’ rennet is added, and the milk is allowed to sit and curdle for 35 minutes. Then the curd is passed through a chopper, and drained. Some of the curd is set aside in acidified whey for future batches of cheese. The rest of the curd is added to curd that has already been soaking for 24 to 48 hours in acidified whey. One producer at least, Marcel Bantin, is cited as using a ratio of two-thirds curd from today and one-third from the day before. ^[7]Etchegoyen, Marie. Le Bleu de Termignon un fromage rare et atypique de Haute Maurienne. 3 May 2012. Accessed October 2022 at https://www.mercotte.fr/2012/05/03/le-bleu-de-termignon-un-fromage-rare-et-atypique-de-haute-maurienne/ The two curds are salted, kneaded and then combined. This mixture of curds causes the unique varying textures inside the cheese.

The curd is then packed into pine moulds lined with cloth. The tops of the cheeses are rubbed with salt and let stand to drain.

Over a period of several days, the cheeses are turned, with their cloths changed daily to draw out moisture. Each time they are turned they are rewrapped with a fresh cloth, and what is now the top is salted. After each use, the cloths are washed and dried in the open air. ^[8]Etchegoyen, Marie. Le Bleu de Termignon un fromage rare et atypique de Haute Maurienne. 3 May 2012. Accessed October 2022 at https://www.mercotte.fr/2012/05/03/le-bleu-de-termignon-un-fromage-rare-et-atypique-de-haute-maurienne/

After a few days, the cheeses are unmoulded, then let dry about two weeks in an ambient-temperature room ^[9]Le bleu de Termignon : le fromage le plus rare de France. Paroles de Fromagers. 6 March 2017. Accessed October 2022 at https://parolesdefromagers.com/bleu-de-termignon-fromage-plus-rare-de-france/ during which time they are daily turned and washed with a salt brine. ^[10]”Elles sont frottées au sel et rejoignent la chambre des bleus où le fromage est démoulé, lavé à l’eau salée et retourné quotidiennement pendant 8 à 10 jours d’égouttage. Le Bleu de termignon. 1 December 2017. Accessed October 2022 at https://www.montagne-vacances.com/fr/actualites-montagne/135/le-bleu-de-termignon.html

The cheeses are then put in the cellars, and aged on pine planks. The pine wood used is from Alpine pine (Pinus cembra) ^[11]”…sont pressés dans des moules en pin cembro (pin des Alpes).” Le Bleu de termignon. 1 December 2017. Accessed October 2022 at https://www.montagne-vacances.com/fr/actualites-montagne/135/le-bleu-de-termignon.html

You will see some sources say the cheeses are pierced to allow air in to aid mould in developing, and others saying the cheeses are not pierced. In practice, it varies by cheesemaker. Some do pierce the cheeses; others wait for the crust to crack open by itself to allow air in. ^[12]”Le fromager perce et pique régulièrement les meules pour faire pénétrer l’air et permettre une réaction chimique provoquée par l’oxygène.” Le Bleu de termignon. 1 December 2017. Accessed October 2022 at https://www.montagne-vacances.com/fr/actualites-montagne/135/le-bleu-de-termignon.html ^[13]”Les fromages ne sont ni piqués ni ensemencés, ils développent leur propre secret de fabrication.” Bleu de Termignon. Fromagerie Boujon. Accessed October 2022 at https://fromagerie-boujon.com/nos-fromages/lait-de-vache/bleu-de-termignon/ ^[14]”Certains producteurs l’aident un peu en piquant la croûte avec une aiguille pour faire entrer l’air et favoriser la moisissure, d’autres attendent tout simplement que la croûte se fende.” Coralie. Accords Vin et Fromage : le bleu de Termignon. Accessed October 2022 at https://www.paperblog.fr/2512028/accords-vin-et-fromage-le-bleu-de-termignon/

The cheeses are aged a minimum of 4 months, during which they are regularly turned.

The cheesemaking occurs during the summer, as the milk is obtained from the cows. The blue mould doesn’t start to develop till around December. ^[15]Le bleu de Termignon : le fromage le plus rare de France. Paroles de Fromagers. 6 March 2017. Accessed October 2022 at https://parolesdefromagers.com/bleu-de-termignon-fromage-plus-rare-de-france/

Note that the cheese is not inoculated with a blue cheese mould, as almost all other blue cheeses are. Instead, the blue mould in the cheese develops naturally and spontaneously. Some sources speculate that the mould is on the herbage that the cows consume and that it survives the ingestion process and comes out in their milk. Others feel that the mould is in the very environment of the production area: the cellars, the wood of the equipment used, the cloths dried in the open air. Certainly, the rusty-red coloured mould that also develops on the crust of the cheese is the same as that which appears on the roofs and walls of the buildings, and the stones in the area. ^[16]Bleu de Termignon. Accessed October 2022 at https://mons-cheese.co.uk/pages/bleu-de-termignon

Sometimes, the blue doesn’t develop, so you will see some Bleus de Termignon that don’t actually have any blue. But wheels that are cut into and show none-to-little blue mould at the time may develop the blue mould in the days and weeks ahead after exposure to oxygen permitted by the cutting. ^[17]Bleu de Termignon. Accessed October 2022 at https://mons-cheese.co.uk/pages/bleu-de-termignon

It’s unclear exactly what type of blue mould grows in the cheese.

Cooking tips

Removing and discarding the crust is recommended.

For the gourmands amongst us, Laurent Petit, 3 star chef of the Clos des Sens restaurant, suggests pairing the cheese with chocolate and a red fruit preserve. ^[18]Gaudry, François-Régis. Le bleu de Termignon. Radio interview. 1 February 2020. Accessed October 2022 at https://www.radiofrance.fr/franceinter/podcasts/le-marche-de-francois-regis-gaudry/le-bleu-de-termignon-8672139

Nutrition

The fat content is about 50%. ^[19]Bleu de termignon. Accessed October 2022 at https://www.leguidedufromage.com/bleu-de-termignon-io151.html

Equivalents

1 cup, crumbled ≈ 100 g ≈ ¼ pound

History

Bleu de Termignon has been made made since the mid 1700s. Other names have included “Mauriennais” and “Persillé du Mont-Cenis“.

Bleu du Mont-Cenis disambiguation

A few historical sources refer to a Savoie-region cheese “Bleu du Mont-Cenis” as a cheese made from a mixture of cow’s milk with either goat’s or sheep’s milk or all three.

A 1941 reference in “Alpine Geographic Review” says:

“It will be the same for “bleu du Mont-Cenis” which is only a combined substitute for “gorgonzola” and “Roquefort”. [It] has a spherical shape of 25 to 30 cm. in diameter and it weighs from 8 to 12 kilos. The milk put into action includes cow’s, sheep’s and goat’s milk in proportion to the composition of the herd itself; sometimes it only includes sheep’s milk mixed with cow’s milk and, in places, only cow’s and goat’s milk are mixed together.” ^[20]”Il en sera de même du « bleu du Mont-Cenis » qui n’est qu’un succédané combiné du « gorgonzola » et du « roquefort ». Ce dernier fromage a une forme sphérique de 25 à 30 cm. de diamètre et il pèse de 8 à 12 kilos. Le lait mis en action comprend du lait de vache, de brebis et de chèvre proportionnellement à la composition même du troupeau; parfois, il ne comporte que du lait de brebis mélangé au lait de vache et, par endroits, on ne travaille que des laits de vache et de chèvre rassemblés.” Reignier, Fernand. Le traitement et le travail du lait dans les régions montagneuses de Savoie. In: Revue de géographie alpine, tome 29, n°3, 1941. pp. 437-448; doi : https://doi.org/10.3406/rga.1941.4319 https://www.persee.fr/doc/rga_0035-1121_1941_num_29_3_4319

In 1875, a “Bulletin on dairy production in the departement of Savoie” recorded this about Mont Cenis cheese as made in Termignon:

“Mont Cenis is a firm cheese that is made in Haute Maurienne and in all the mountains that extend to the borders of Italy. According to Mr. Bonafous, in 1833, this cheese was made all over the Mont-Cenis plateau as far as Bessans and Bonneval, and some other parts of the Maurienne, including Valloires. It is made with a mixture of cow’s, goat’s and sheep’s milk, in undefined proportions. The bluish-grey veins that appear in the cheese are due to the development of a microscopic mold or fungus called Mucor mucedo, L. This tasty cheese is still made in Bonneval and Termignon.” ^[21]« Le Mont Cenis est un fromage à pâte ferme qui se fabrique dans la Haute Maurienne et dans toutes les montagnes qui s’étendent jusqu’aux frontières d’Italie ». D’après M. Bonafous, en 1833, on fabrique ce fromage sur tout le plateau du Mont-Cenis jusqu’à Bessans et Bonneval, et quelques autres parties de la Maurienne, dont Valloires. Il est réalisé avec un mélange de lait de vache, de chèvre et de brebis, dans des proportions non définies. Les veines gris-bleuâtres qui apparaissent dans le fromage sont dues au développement d’une moisissure ou champignon microscopique appelé Mucor mucedo, L. Ce fromage savoureux est toujours fabriqué à Bonneval et à Termignon.” Pierre Tochon, dans Notice sur la production laitière du département de la Savoie, 1875. In: Boire et manger en Savoie. Archives départementales de la Savoie du 16 septembre au 20 octobre 2000. Accessed October 2022 at http://peterpan.itc.cnr.it/aess_upload/aess_oriani/Bibliografia/BIB-74.pdf

Sources

Centre National Interprofessionnel de l’Economie Laitière. Bleu de Termignon. Accessed October 2022 at https://www.produits-laitiers-de-france.com/fromages/bleu-de-termignon/

Etchegoyen, Marie. Le Bleu de Termignon un fromage rare et atypique de Haute Maurienne. 3 May 2012. Accessed October 2022 at https://www.mercotte.fr/2012/05/03/le-bleu-de-termignon-un-fromage-rare-et-atypique-de-haute-maurienne/

Gaudry, François-Régis. Le bleu de Termignon. Radio interview. 1 February 2020. Accessed October 2022 at https://www.radiofrance.fr/franceinter/podcasts/le-marche-de-francois-regis-gaudry/le-bleu-de-termignon-8672139

Le bleu de Termignon : le fromage le plus rare de France. Paroles de Fromagers. 6 March 2017. Accessed October 2022 at https://parolesdefromagers.com/bleu-de-termignon-fromage-plus-rare-de-france/

Le bleu de Termignon, azur aimant. Libération. Paris, France. 10 January 2020. Accessed October 2022 at https://www.liberation.fr/food/2020/01/10/le-bleu-de-termignon-azur-aimant_1772301/

Y. Matisse et al. Le bleu de Termignon, le fromage le plus rare de France. TF1 Television Network. France. 29 July 2020. Accessed October 2022 at https://www.tf1info.fr/regions/video-le-bleu-de-termignon-le-fromage-le-plus-rare-du-pays-2160484.html

Le bleu de Termignon : le fromage le plus rare de France. Paroles de Fromagers. 6 March 2017. Accessed October 2022 at https://parolesdefromagers.com/bleu-de-termignon-fromage-plus-rare-de-france/

Bleu de Termignon. Frédérique Voisin-Demery / wikimedia / 2010 / CC BY 2.0

Originally published: February 2004
Revised: October 2022