Vacherin Fribourgeois AOC is a Swiss cheese made using raw cow's milk in the towns of Bulle and Fribourg (Canton Fribourg in west-central Switzerland). This cheese is also made in other parts of Switzerland including the Jura Mountains on the border of France.
The milk for the cheese is sourced from the Fribourgeois breed of cows that graze on the Alpine grass and wildflowers through the late spring and summer. As fall arrives, the cows are brought down to graze on grass and summer hay.
Vacherin Fribourgeois has a pleasant nutty flavour, with notes of fresh hay and milk. The interior of the cheese is straw-coloured with an open and buttery texture.
Today Vacherin Fribourgeois is produced by very few cheese makers and hence is very difficult to find. It has a Swiss AOC status.
Used in fondues, cooking and as a table cheese. It is a great melting cheese, so try it on grilled sandwiches, potatoes or over-steamed vegetables. Big and bold Burgundy, Bordeaux or reds from the Rhone Valley in France go well with the cheese.