Abondance, cash or cheese?
Since the 11th century, cheeses have been a lucrative venture for the inhabitants of the Abondance Valley. The monks of the Abondance Abbey had a knack for business and created high alpine pastures where farmers happily let their cows graze in the summer. Collecting taxes, the monks did, you guessed it, in the form of cheese. It was a smart move because the mountain herbs that the cows eat give the cheese an extra special flavor. And this delicacy didn’t go unnoticed by the nobility. A piece of Abondance cheese became a must-have at a noble banquet. Over time, the cheese became so renowned that it could be used as currency.
The Legend of Tomme de Savoie
For the origin of Tomme cheese, we descend to La Giettaz, a village a stone’s throw from Mont Blanc. There, very long ago, lived fairies who delighted in the fresh milk that farmers received from their cows every day. In exchange, they taught the mountain dwellers how to make Tomme cheese. So, the mountain dwellers and the fairies lived in harmony for years. The farmers milked the cows and prepared delicious Tomme cheese according to the tricks of the trade, and the fairies flew cheerfully through the chimneys to come sip milk from their little fairy bowls.
