An ancient cheese that was well known in
Roman times, Beaufort is made exclusively of milk from
Beaufort cows, an ancient Indo-Asian breed living high in the
French Alps. Beaufort is produced in the far eastern French regions of
Beaufortain,
Tarentaise,
Maurienne and part of the
Val d'Arly, bordering
Italy.
500 litres (130 gallons) of Beaufort milk is used to produce just 45 kilograms of cheese. The cheese wheels are matured in stone cellars for five months, being occasionally turned to encourage the development of an even red-brown rind.
The two varieties of Beaufort are Beaufort d'été ("Summer"), produced from June through September milkings, and the rarer Chalet d'Alpage, also from summer milk, but sourced from two milkings per day from the same herds, and made in high-altitude chalets of at least 1500 metres. The resultant cheese has a fat content of 45%.
research sources: Conus cheesemakers and cheese.com