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Fermentation Atlas

Cheese from France, Auvergne

Fourme d'Ambert PDOFourme d'Ambert

Cow milk is seeded with Penicillium roqueforti and set with rennet at 30–35 °C. The curd is cut to corn-sized grains, drained in tall moulds without pressing, salted, and pierced with needles from the fourth day so the blue mould can grow inside. It ripens in a cold, humid cellar and may carry the name from day 28. Made in 7 steps over 46 days – 47 days. The longest step, hold cold until day 28, takes at least 28 days (INAO 2013) and runs at 0–6 °C (INAO 2013). Penicillium roqueforti and Lactic acid bacteria do most of the fermenting.

Key numbers
Main stepat least 28 daysSet[inao-fa][sifam-dp2024]Hold cold until day 28
Temperature0–6 °CSet[inao-fa]Hold cold until day 28

Recipe

Amounts from a sourceThe specification fixes the steps but not the amounts. The consortium says one cheese of about 2.2 kg takes about 19 L of milk.
About 19 L per cheeseCow milk · Stored on the farm for no more than 48 h after the oldest milking[sifam-dp2024][inao-fa]
Penicillium roqueforti · Added to the milk; it makes the blue veins[inao-fa][sifam-dp2024]
Lactic cultures · Harmless bacteria, yeasts and moulds are allowed[inao-fa]
Rennet · The only coagulant allowed[inao-fa]
Salt · As brine, dry salt or both, at the end of draining[inao-fa]
StarterLactic cultures and Penicillium roqueforti added to the milk

Total time across the recorded steps: 46 days – 47 days

Start
Drag the bar or press Play
30–35 °Cshapes, not to countPenicillium roqueforti

What changes: Blue mould spores, lactic cultures and rennet go into the milk, and it sets

Step 1 of 7
Seed the milk and add rennet
Time
Not documented
Temperature
30–35 °C
Set
Salt
None given
Acidity
Not documented
Which microbes the steps name, step by step
Penicillium roqueforti
Lactic acid bacteria

Output: coagulum.

Flavour
Not documented
Texture
soft gel
Colour
white

Microbes at work in this step

lactic cultures and Penicillium roqueforti spores go into the milk; rennet sets it

Method

Measured measured in a studySet fixed by a specification or tested recipeReported one source reports itTypical a general value, not sourced for this fermentUnconfirmed not yet checked against a source

What makes this one different

Fourme d'Ambert is a blue cheese made like a tall drum. Its curd is never pressed and never broken down, so the corn-sized grains leave gaps where the mould grows after piercing. It is milder than Roquefort, which is made from ewe milk.

Milk
Cow milk only; farm cheeses use raw whole milk
Ripening
At least 28 days from renneting
Size
PDO rules: 17–21 cm high, 12.5–14 cm across, 1.9–2.5 kg; at least 50 % fat in dry matter

Related ferments

Variants

  • Fermier (farm-made)Raw whole milk from one farm, renneted within 16 h of the oldest milking.

History and sources

Every number is labelled with how it is known. How this atlas is made

Its history starts in the summer farmhouses of the Forez mountains, where women made the cheese. It was recognised as an appellation in 1972, together with Fourme de Montbrison.

  1. [inao-fa] INAO, Cahier des charges de l'appellation d'origine « Fourme d'Ambert », version of 25 April 2013spec
  2. [sifam-dp2024] Syndicat Interprofessionnel de la Fourme d'Ambert (SIFAm), AOP Fourme d'Ambert press kit, 2024other
  3. [inao-fa-page] INAO, Fourme d'Ambert product page (history, 1972 recognition)gov