Fourme d'Ambert

History of the Fourme d'Ambert cheese.

The Fourme d'Ambert cheese has been fabricated in a certain way in the region of Haut-Forez since the Middle-Ages, where an agro-pastoral system was in place and remained until just after the Second World War. However, legends state that at the time of the Gauls, druids practicing their cult in Monts du Forez knew of the cheese. Also, according to Mr Maze, Director of the Pasteur Institute, the Fourme d'Ambert cheese was already in existence at the time of the Averni, a Gaillic tribe living in Auvergne, before the conquest by Cesar.
Since the 8th Century, the different legends all attest that the Fourme d'Ambert cheese was in existence and was consumed. The heritage of this cheese can be still be seen today. For example,the 'tithe' stones (sized for the regional products of the period; ham, eggs, sausages, fourme cheeses) situated at the church of Chaulme (Puy-de-Dôme) are living proof of the existence of the Fourme d'Ambert cheese. The Fourme d'Ambert cheese has even served as a currency in the 18th Century, to pay for the rent of the cabins where the cheese was made. During the time of mountain summer pasture, from June to October, the women and the children lived in the cabins where the cheese was made whilst the men were out in the fields. At the bginning of the century, facing the decline of the farm production of the cheese on the mountain summer pasture of Forez, the dairies moved to the mounts of Forez, notably the eastern side. In 1950, there were around 15 dairies which collected their milk in, at times, a very small perimeter. It was also at this time that producers began to appear outside of the mounts of Forez. Firstly to the West of the Puy-de-Dôme (Laqueuille and Rochefort Montagne) then in Cantal (Murat) and then in the valley of the Dore (Thiers- Puy-de-Dôme). Finally, in the 1950s, producers appeared in Saint-Flour (Cantal) and Balbigny (Plaine de la Loire).

The 'jasseries' (cabins in the mountains where the cheese is produced)- the origins of the Fourme d'Ambert cheese.
The 'Jasseries' were constructed as a collection of buildings where people kept their animals, made cheese and lived. These are the traditional dwellings in the mounts of the Haut-Forez, the original birthplace of the Fourme d'Ambert. Sheltered from the wind, the jasseries are situated in the surrounding area of the mountains, next to the edge of the forests and the water sources. The jasseries comprise of a hayloft, stable, and living area where the cheese was also made. The stable and living area were seperated by a wooden partition; the cows slept on a wooden floor. The hayloft was on a higher level, just under the roof.

The bovine herd of 4 to 7 cows, often the Ferrandaises breed, were brought inside each night. After the morning milking, the cowpats were thrown into the central path and gotten rid of using the water of a local resevoir, the Serve. At the exit of the stable, a canal system meant that the cowpats could  be re-distributed onto the land below. This enriched the ground, and the land became known as 'fumade' or 'fumées' meaning it gave off fumes.  The grass which grows is reaped and makes a hay of excellent quality. The jasseries were built on a slope so that the water would run down the slope and the cowpats were diposited onto the land beneath. At dawn, the cattle were let outside onto the land to graze. The areas where the cows graze were reaped often, even the moor land was harvested to make hay for eating or to make a bed for them. The people moved to higher ground in the summer in order for the cows to pasture. Those close to the village, once their cows had been put out onto the pasture, turned their attention to stocking up food for the winter. The eternal worry of the peasant farmer is that there is a balance between the needs of the herd and the food reserves.Agricultural work and cattle rearing relied on the sharing out of tasks between men and women. The exploitation of the milk was led by the father and he was helped by his sons to work the land. The work involved in the rearing of the cattle and the fabrication of the Fourme d’Ambert cheese is part of the work of the women. The mother and one of the daughters or daughters-in-law lived on the mountain, and the men climbed the mountain regularly to carry out the agricultural tasks around the jasserie and bring news from ground level.

The word ‘fourme’ has ancient roots, it comes from the Greek ‘phormos’, then from the latin ‘forma’ or ‘formaticus’ which is translated as ‘forme,’ in the way that cheese (fromage in French) is ‘formed.’ In old French ‘forme’ meant ‘a recipient which contains curds’ in other words the result of the mixture of milk and rennet. Several medieval words were formed from the old French ‘forme’: ‘formage,’ ‘fourmage’ and ‘fourme,’ but these became obsolete.Between the Middle-Ages and today, the semantics of the word have evolved, becoming ‘fromage’ in the modern French. ‘Fourme’ disappeared in favour of the word ‘fromage’ except in the Massif Central where the word ‘fourme’ is still used. This is why a large number of cheeses from Auvergne are called ‘fourme de…’  Cantal or Fourme de Cantal ; Fourme de Rochefort Montagne, etc. The meaning of the word ‘fourme’ has evolved, it signified a container, a utensil used in the fabrication of cheese, then little by little ‘fourme’ became to mean a cheese and then a cheese originating from a certain geographical area. Today, the word ‘fourme’ is protected, not just any old cheese can be called ‘fourme!’ The term ‘fourme’ is not just limited to the Fourme d’Ambert  AOC, in fact, it can only be used for the cheeses produced in Auvergne.