Bouverans, France — Jean-François Marmier has named each of the 60 cows in his herd, but he still has a favorite. When he yells “allez, allez’’ to summon the girls for the evening milking, Celestine trots in the lead, a heavy bell swinging from her collar.
Marmier speaks English with an Aussie accent he acquired during a sojourn in Tasmania, but his roots are in the Jura Mountains of eastern France, where his family has been making cheese for so long that he has lost track of the generations. “Their milk is very cheeseable,’’ Marmier says of his soulful-eyed brown-and-white Montbéliarde cows. By morning, that milk will begin its transformation into Comté, the largest selling hard cheese in France.
You would think that only a big factory could produce enough to satisfy the appetites of the fromage-loving French. But it turns out that the process is small scale and personal. And that human touch is what makes this obscure corner of France — less than three hours by train from Paris — perfect for Slow Food touring. Sandwiched between Burgundy and Switzerland, Franche-Comté not only has its signature cheese and some distinctive wines, it is also dotted with rustic inns where Michelin-starred chefs offer complete tasting menus for the price of a main dish in Paris.
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