Savoy: Raclette Cheese Gets EU Quality Logo
Photo courtesy of Alex Toulemonde / Flickr.
Raclette from Savoy has been registered with the European Union under the Protected Geographical Indication (PGI), confirming the cheese’s specific link to the territory where it is produced. Authentic Savoy raclette must be made in Savoy for it to carry the name. This is the latest victory in the drive for recognition of Savoy’s cultural heritage.
The following article was published by The Local:
Pretenders to the (cheese) throne should fear Friday’s news that the Savoy raclette is now officially enshrined on the EU register of protected geographical indicators (PGI’s).
This means that the next time you order a “raclette de Savoie”, it must actually be produced in the Savoie department of eastern France.
Raclette cheeses masquerading as Savoy raclette are no longer safe as the melted cheese dish gets official recognition, meaning that anything labelled Savoy raclette must now actually use cheese from Savoy and hold up to a certain quality.
The savoy version differentiates itself from its Swiss competitor “raclette Valais” from just over the border by its “slightly softer” texture, as well as a more “smooth and creamy flavour” according to site Cheese.com.
For the uninitiated, raclette comes from the French word “racler”, meaning to scrape. It’s a dish where a large cow’s milk cheese wheel is heated over a woodfire and the melted cheese scraped onto a plate usually consisting of potatoes, vegetables and meats.
