Fumaison

France

Fumaison is one of those quietly eccentric cheeses that seems to belong entirely to the French countryside.

Made from the rich milk of Lacaune sheep in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, it was first created in 1990 by Patrick Beaumont, who had the inspired idea of treating a cheese rather like a cured sausage—netting it and hanging it in cool caves for a hundred days.

The rind develops a mottled coat of red, yellow, and grey moulds, giving it a slightly wild, cave-aged look. Inside, the paste is firm, creamy, and luxuriously smooth, with flavours that unfold slowly: toasted hazelnuts, a whisper of wood, and a gentle, lingering smokiness from its cold-smoke finish.

It is brined briefly, smoked—sometimes for nearly a day—and then left to mature in the quiet darkness of the caves. On the table, it is happiest with a fruity white wine, a nice heavy red, or simply a bowl of fresh fruit and good company.

The flavors are complex and savory – The taste begins with a distinct smoky, woody flavor that develops into notes of hazelnut and cream while the texture is firm and very rich, yet smooth on the palate.

Pairs well with robust red wines, fruity white wines, and fresh fruit.

Fumaison is a unique, firm, raw Lacaune sheep's milk cheese from the Auvergne region of France, created by Patrick Beaumont around 1990. It is famously aged by hanging for 100 days—resembling a sausage—then cold-smoked, resulting in a complex savory, smoky, and nutty flavor with a natural, speckled rind.

Created by French cheesemaker, Patrick Beaumont in 1990, Fumaison is a smoked raw Lacaune sheep’s milk cheese. It is very similar to Jesus de Lyon, a sausage from Auvergne, in both shape and flavor. The reason is that M. Beaumont uses charcuterie-making techniques to produce Fumaison. For example, it is aged by hanging it from the roof of a cave for 100 days, the same way a ham would be.

The production of Fumaison begins two hours after the milk arrives at the cheese-making facility. Rennet is added for quick coagulation and once separated from the whey, the curd is placed in moulds. It is then pressed gently for 24 hours to remove much of the moisture. Next, Fumaison is brined for another full day before beginning the aging process. Once Fumaison is removed from the roof of the caves, it is smoked, creating a cheese like no other. Under a rind that has grey, red and yellow molds is a paste that smells of mushrooms, smoke and wood.