Fourme

fourme the French word for ‘mould’ (in the sense of a shaping mould, not a micro-organism), appears in the name of some cheeses moulded to shape. The best known is Fourme d’Ambert, a tall, cylindrical, semi-soft blue cheese with a yellow or brownish rind; quite like a small stilton. Fourme des Monts du Forez is a general name for this cheese and its close relations, of which one other, Fourme de Montbrison, has a protected name. These fourmes come from the hilly regions (Loire, Puy-de-Dôme) west of Lyons. The cheese generally known as cantal is officially called Fourme du Cantal.