Local produceFood & drink
The essentials in 30 seconds
- Savoie has 8 cheeses with official quality labels: 5 PDO cheeses (Abondance, Beaufort, Chevrotin, Reblochon and Tome des Bauges) and 3 PGI cheeses (Emmental de Savoie, Raclette de Savoie and Tomme de Savoie).
- Its signature dishes are fondue savoyarde, raclette and tartiflette. The latter became a fixture on ski resort restaurant menus in the 1980s, inspired by an older dish called péla.
- Each cheese has its own territory: Beaufort comes from Tarentaise, Maurienne, Beaufortain and Val d’Arly, while Reblochon comes from Haute-Savoie and Val d’Arly.
- To taste them at the source, the Route des fromages de Savoie cheese trail brings together more than 70 farms, cooperatives and cheese maturers.
The 8 PDO and PGI cheeses of Savoie
Cheese is at the heart of Savoyard cooking. Eight local cheeses hold official quality labels. A PDO (Protected Designation of Origin, or AOP in French) requires every stage of production, processing and preparation to take place within a defined area. A PGI (Protected Geographical Indication, or IGP in French) requires at least the most important stage to take place there.
| Cheese | Label | Size and appearance | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beaufort | PDO | Wheel of around 40 kg with a concave edge | High mountain areas of Savoie: Tarentaise, Maurienne, Beaufortain, Val d’Arly |
| Reblochon | PDO designation, with origin recognition dating back to 1958 | Around 500 g | Haute-Savoie east of Annecy and the Arly valley in Savoie |
| Abondance | PDO | Wheel of around 10 kg with a concave edge | Mountains of Haute-Savoie |
| Tome des Bauges | PDO | 1.1 to 1.4 kg, with a rough grey rind | Bauges massif |
| Chevrotin | PDO | Around 300 g, made from goat’s milk, exclusively farm-produced | Mountains of Haute-Savoie and the Bauges massif |
| Tomme de Savoie | PGI | 1.2 to 2 kg, available with different fat contents | Savoie and Haute-Savoie |
| Raclette de Savoie | PGI | Wheel of around 6 kg with a smooth yellow to orange rind | Throughout Savoie and Haute-Savoie |
| Emmental de Savoie | PGI | Rounded wheel of around 75 kg with a golden rind | Savoie and Haute-Savoie |
Sources: Fromages de Savoie, Savoie Mont Blanc Tourisme and INAO.
Beaufort, the cheese of Tarentaise and Beaufortain
Beaufort is made with milk from Tarine and Abondance cows, breeds suited to the terrain and climate of the high valleys. Its roughly 40 kg wheel is recognisable by its concave edge. A summer variety made in mountain pasture chalets is known as Beaufort chalet d’alpage. Enjoy it on its own, in fondue or in a gratin. The GSI resorts of Les Saisies (Beaufortain), Tarentaise and Val d’Arly lie within its production area.
Reblochon, the cheese of the Aravis and Val d’Arly
Recognised under an appellation of origin since 1958, Reblochon is an uncooked pressed cheese made from raw whole cow’s milk, with a saffron-coloured washed rind. Its production area covers 176 municipalities in Haute-Savoie and 9 in the Arly valley in Savoie. It comes in farm-produced and dairy-made versions. It is the star ingredient in tartiflette. Le Grand-Bornand, Megève and Praz-sur-Arly are at the heart of this region.
Abondance, Tome des Bauges and Chevrotin: the other PDO cheeses
Abondance takes its name from a valley in Haute-Savoie and a local breed of cow. Tome des Bauges, with its grey rind, comes from the Bauges massif between Annecy and Chambéry. Chevrotin is an exclusively farm-produced goat’s cheese made in the mountains of Haute-Savoie and the Bauges.
Tomme, Raclette and Emmental de Savoie: the PGI cheeses
Tomme de Savoie is an everyday cheese available with different fat contents. Raclette de Savoie, produced in both departments, is made for melting. Emmental de Savoie, with its large rounded wheels weighing around 75 kg, is recognisable by its golden rind. Reblochon, Tome des Bauges, Tomme de Savoie and Raclette are sometimes made on mountain pastures during the summer.
Must-try Savoyard dishes
Savoyard cooking is mountain cooking, designed to warm you up and keep you going after a day outdoors. It centres on local cheeses, potatoes, charcuterie and Savoie white wine.
| Dish | What it is | Key cheese or ingredient |
|---|---|---|
| Fondue savoyarde | Savoie cheeses melted in a fondue pot, with bread for dipping | Savoie cheeses, depending on the recipe |
| Raclette | Melted cheese served with potatoes, charcuterie and gherkins | Raclette de Savoie |
| Tartiflette | A potato, onion and bacon gratin topped with Reblochon | Reblochon |
| Péla | The predecessor of tartiflette: unpeeled potatoes and cheese cooked in a frying pan | Reblochon |
| Croziflette | A cousin of tartiflette, made with crozets pasta instead of potatoes | Reblochon, crozets |
| Berthoud | Cheese baked in individual dishes with white wine, garlic and Madeira, served with bread or potatoes | Abondance |
| Farcement | A sweet-and-savoury dish from the Arve valley, shaped like a ring cake, made with potatoes, smoked pork belly, cream, raisins, prunes and pears | Potatoes |
| Diots in white wine | Savoyard sausages simmered in white wine, often served with polenta or crozets pasta | Diots sausages, Savoie wine |
| Crozets | Small square pasta shapes, often made with buckwheat, served baked with cheese or alongside diots sausages | Buckwheat |
| Matafan | A thick potato pancake | Potatoes |
Fancy cooking these dishes during your stay? Our article 10 must-try mountain recipes includes recipes for raclette, tartiflette, fondue and diots.
Savoyard desserts
| Gâteau de Savoie sponge cakeA very light sponge cake which, according to tradition, was created in Chambéry in 1358 by Pierre de Yenne’s cook for Count Amadeus VI of Savoy, to impress the visiting emperor. | |
| Blueberry tartA tart filled with blueberries, a classic of mountain bakeries. | RissolesSmall filled pastry turnovers. |
Savoie wines and génépi
Savoie’s vineyards are found notably around Lac du Bourget and between Chambéry and Albertville, at the foot of the Bauges and Chartreuse mountains. They benefit from a Protected Designation of Origin. Three grape varieties are especially familiar at the table:
- Jacquère: a Savoie white grape variety;
- Altesse: the white grape used for Roussette de Savoie;
- Mondeuse: a red grape variety to pair with charcuterie and diots sausages.
To round off a meal, génépi is the liqueur of the Alps. It is made from mountain Artemisia plants, gathered or grown above 1,500 metres.
What should you try in your GSI resort?
Every valley has its own cheese. Staying in a GSI resort puts you close to where these cheeses are made.
| GSI resort | Region | Local specialities |
|---|---|---|
| Les Saisies | Beaufortain | Beaufort, Tomme de Savoie |
| Les Arcs, La Plagne, Méribel, Valmorel | Tarentaise | Beaufort, fondue savoyarde, diots |
| Praz-sur-Arly, Flumet, Notre-Dame-de-Bellecombe, Crest-Voland | Val d’Arly | Beaufort and Reblochon (their production areas meet here) |
| Le Grand-Bornand | Aravis | Reblochon, tartiflette, péla |
| Megève, Combloux | Pays du Mont-Blanc | Reblochon, farcement |
Where can you taste Savoyard specialities at the source?
The Route des fromages de Savoie cheese trail brings together more than 70 sites in Savoie and Haute-Savoie: farms, cooperatives, cheesemakers, cheese maturers and mountain pasture producers. You can visit, taste the produce and share a farm meal. The trail covers the Aravis and Mont-Blanc areas, Beaufortain, Tarentaise, Maurienne, the Bauges and Chablais. “Vélo & Fromages” cycling routes also link several producers.
Frequently asked questions
Which Savoie cheeses have PDO status?
There are five: Abondance, Beaufort, Chevrotin, Reblochon and Tome des Bauges. Three other cheeses have PGI status: Emmental de Savoie, Raclette de Savoie and Tomme de Savoie.
What is the difference between Tome des Bauges and Tomme de Savoie?
Tome des Bauges, spelt with a single “m”, is a PDO cheese made only in the Bauges massif. Tomme de Savoie is a PGI cheese made throughout Savoie and Haute-Savoie.
Is tartiflette a traditional Savoyard dish?
In its present form, it became popular in ski resort restaurants in the 1980s, alongside the promotion of Reblochon. It is inspired by péla, a traditional Savoyard dish.
Which wine goes with fondue savoyarde?
A Savoie white wine, for example one made from Jacquère grapes, or a Roussette de Savoie made from Altesse grapes.
Which Savoyard speciality should you bring home from your holiday?
A PDO or PGI cheese bought at a farm or cooperative (Beaufort, Reblochon or Tomme de Savoie), a gâteau de Savoie sponge cake, a Savoie wine or a bottle of génépi.
Apartments and chalets in the resorts of the Aravis, Beaufortain, Val d’Arly and Tarentaise, with a local team on hand to advise you.
- Fromages de Savoie: PDO and PGI cheeses
- Fromages de Savoie: the cheese trail
- Savoie Mont Blanc Tourisme: Savoie cheeses
- INAO: Reblochon or Reblochon de Savoie
- Beaufort cheese producers’ association
- Reblochon interprofessional association
- Combloux Tourisme: local food
- Haute-Savoie Tourisme: gâteau de Savoie
- Savoie Mont Blanc Tourisme: Savoie wines
- INAO: Génépi des Alpes product specification
