The processing of this cheese has been documented over a long period of time. As early as the 9th century, Fourme was used as currency to pay for the use of summer pastures in the Forez region and its principal market rapidly became the little town of Ambert, whose current town hall is
a circle, just like the cheese!
The production area is located at an altitude of 1968 ft to 5249 ft on both sides of the Dore River valley, a rather infertile crystalline region with highly productive pastures.
10 dairies and one farm produce more than 6,000 tonnes of cheese each year.
Did you know that...
To make one wheel of Fourme d’Ambert you need:
- around 20 litres of milk
- a minimum of 4 weeks to ripen the cheese
Fourme d’Ambert is the mildest blue cheese... and one of the rare «lady» cheeses. It combines this mildness with a smooth texture encased in a white and grey rind.