Vacherin traditionally comes from the Alpine region of the Jura Mountains, which run across the Franco-Swiss border. This gorgeous, gooey cheese, which typically contains 45-50% milk fat, is made from the milk of the Montbeliarde cow and its production runs from the end of August to the end of the year.
Historically, when milk production went down at the end of summer, farmers in the Jura region would deal with the low levels of milk by making smaller cheeses. Because small goats' cheeses were called chevrotin, the farmers decided to call their small cows' milk cheeses vacherin: vache - French for cow, geddit? Vacherin is available only in the winter months and reaches its peak from mid-November to February.
So much loved is this cheese that it has also been the centre of a spat. Both the French and Swiss have been making Vacherin since the 1700s, and for many years both called their cheeses Vacherin Mont D'Or after a famous mountain that is, in part, claimed by both nations.
But in 1981, the Swiss surreptitiously gained exclusive legal rights to the name and the French had to come up with a new name. Today French Vacherin is labelled either Le Mont D'Or or Vacherin du Haut-Doubs. The Swiss Vacherin Mont D'Or has a rich, slightly sweet flavour, while the French Vacherin du Haut-Doubs is a lightly acidic, full-flavoured cheese.
The traditional way to enjoy a ripe Vacherin is to cut off the top rind and eat the runny cheese out of the centre with a spoon. Otherwise, bake it in its box and serve warm.
And to drink? Connoisseurs know a full-bodied wine such as Bordeaux or Burgundy will go down a treat.
If we've whetted your taste-buds, then here are a few places to indulge.
- The eponymous Vacherin restaurant in Chiswick, west London, offers baked Vacherin for two or four people to share in the evenings. Call 020 8742 2121.
- La Fromagerie in Notting Hill and Marylebone sells the cheese and serves baked Vacherin for two with crusty bread and charcuterie in its café. Evening tasting events can be booked by calling 020 7935 0341.
- Baked Vacherin for two served with charcuterie and ratte potatoes is also on Galvin's menu on London's Baker Street. Call 020 7935 4007.