A guide to the two Vacherins — French Vacherin Mont d'Or and Swiss Vacherin Mont-d'Or. How these spruce-wrapped winter cheeses compare.
The name "Vacherin" causes plenty of confusion, because it's shared by more than one cheese on either side of the French-Swiss border. The most famous are the seasonal, spruce-wrapped soft cheeses sold each winter — but even these come in a French and a Swiss version. Here's how to make sense of them.
A Shared Name
"Vacherin" derives from vache, the French word for cow, and is used for several cow's-milk cheeses. The two most renowned are seasonal soft cheeses from the Jura region straddling France and Switzerland: the French Vacherin du Haut-Doubs (commonly called Mont d'Or) and the Swiss Vacherin Mont-d'Or. Both are soft, spruce-wrapped, spoonable winter cheeses — close cousins made on opposite sides of the same mountains.
The French Vacherin (Mont d'Or)
The French version, Vacherin du Haut-Doubs or Mont d'Or, is an AOP cheese made in the Haut-Doubs area of France. It's traditionally made from raw cow's milk and is produced seasonally in autumn and winter. Soft and runny when ripe, encircled by a band of spruce bark and sold in a spruce box, it's famous for being eaten with a spoon or baked in its box.
The Swiss Vacherin (Vacherin Mont-d'Or)
The Swiss version, Vacherin Mont-d'Or, is an AOP cheese made in the canton of Vaud, on the Swiss side of the Jura. It's typically made from thermized or pasteurized milk and, like its French counterpart, is a seasonal, soft, spruce-wrapped, spoonable cheese sold in a wooden box. The two are extremely similar in style and concept, differing mainly in their precise origin and milk treatment.
How They Compare
The French and Swiss Vacherins are close siblings: both are soft, rich, washed-rind cheeses wrapped in spruce, made only in the colder months, and eaten by the spoonful or baked. The differences are subtle — the French AOP version is traditionally raw-milk, the Swiss often uses heat-treated milk, and each has its own protected status and slight variations in flavor. For most eaters, they offer the same beloved experience of a molten, woody, decadent winter cheese.
Don't Confuse These with Other Vacherins
Adding to the confusion, "Vacherin" also appears in other cheese names, such as Vacherin Fribourgeois — a firmer Swiss cheese used in fondue, quite different from the soft Mont d'Or types. And in the dessert world, "vacherin" refers to a meringue-and-cream cake entirely unrelated to cheese. When someone mentions the spoonable winter cheese, they mean one of the Mont d'Or-style Vacherins.
How to Enjoy Them
Both Vacherins are best at room temperature, scooped with a spoon, or baked in their spruce box with garlic and white wine until molten, then eaten with bread, potatoes, and charcuterie. They pair beautifully with the white wines of the Jura and make a perfect centerpiece for a cozy winter meal.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between French and Swiss Vacherin Mont d'Or?
They're close cousins: the French AOP version (Vacherin du Haut-Doubs) is traditionally raw-milk, the Swiss (Vacherin Mont-d'Or) often uses heat-treated milk. Both are soft, spruce-wrapped, seasonal cheeses.
Is Vacherin Fribourgeois the same cheese?
No. Vacherin Fribourgeois is a firmer Swiss cheese used in fondue, quite different from the soft, spoonable Mont d'Or-style Vacherins.
When are these Vacherins available?
Only in autumn and winter, as they're seasonal cheeses made when cows leave summer pastures.