A guide to Abondance — the fruity, semi-hard Alpine cheese from Savoie. Its monastic roots, concave rind, and rich flavor.
Abondance is a distinguished Alpine cheese from the Savoie region of France — semi-hard, fruity, and aromatic, with a concave rind that marks it out on the cheese counter. Made from the milk of a local cattle breed that shares its name, it's a cheese deeply tied to its mountain home.
What Abondance Is
Abondance is a Protected Designation of Origin (AOP) cow's-milk cheese from the Haute-Savoie in the French Alps, named after the Abondance valley and the Abondance breed of cattle. It's a semi-hard, cooked-and-pressed cheese, related in style to other Alpine cheeses like Beaufort and Comté, traditionally made from raw milk and aged for several months in cool cellars.
Monastic Origins
Abondance traces its history to the monks of the Abondance Abbey, who developed and refined the cheese in the medieval period and helped establish the local dairy tradition. This monastic heritage, combined with the cheese's strong connection to the Abondance cattle breed and its mountain pastures, gives it a rich sense of place and history.
The Concave Rind
Like Beaufort, Abondance is recognizable by the concave (inward-curving) sides of its wheels, a result of the traditional molds used to press the cheese. The rind itself is washed and rubbed during aging, developing an amber-brown color. This distinctive shape and rind make Abondance easy to identify among Alpine cheeses.
Flavor and Texture
Abondance has a supple, semi-hard, smooth paste, pale gold, sometimes with small holes. The flavor is rich, fruity, and nutty, with a pronounced aromatic, slightly tangy character and notes of hazelnut and butter. It's a touch more rustic and assertive than a mild Alpine cheese, with a lingering, savory depth that reflects its mountain pastures. The flavor deepens with age.
How to Use Abondance
Abondance is wonderful on a cheese board at room temperature, served with crusty bread, fruit, and charcuterie. It melts beautifully, making it excellent in gratins, savory tarts, and Alpine dishes — it's a traditional cheese for berthoud, a Savoyard dish of cheese melted with garlic and white wine, eaten with bread and potatoes. Grated or sliced, it adds rich, fruity flavor to many recipes.
Pairings
Abondance pairs with the white and light red wines of Savoie, as well as with dry cider. On the plate, crusty bread, apples, pears, walnuts, and cured meats complement its fruity, nutty flavor, reflecting its Alpine roots.
Buying and Storing
Abondance is sold in wedges with its characteristic concave rim; look for the AOP mark for the genuine cheese. Store it wrapped in wax paper in the fridge and bring it to room temperature before serving. Its firm paste keeps well for a couple of weeks.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Abondance taste like?
Rich, fruity, and nutty, with an aromatic, slightly tangy character and notes of hazelnut and butter that deepen with age.
Why do Abondance wheels have curved sides?
The concave sides come from the traditional molds used to press the cheese, similar to Beaufort.
What is berthoud?
A Savoyard dish of Abondance melted with garlic and white wine, eaten with bread and potatoes.