Today is Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day! Although popular in many cultures for centuries, the classic gooey orange-filled Wonderbead version that we have now gained its own popularity in the 1920s. This was shortly after Kraft patented its new method for manufacturing processed cheese (which by legal definition is technically a “cheese product” or “cheese food” and not actually cheese itself). This American Cheese became a staple during the Great Depression, where it would be placed on an open faced sandwich and broiled, forming a filling meal. Over time, it became the sandwich that we know and love today.
Instead of making my sandwich with this, however, I wanted to take you to the other side of the world for some of the best, meltiest, actual cheeses: the French Alps, in particular, Savoie and Haute-Savoie. This alpine region is home to the famous ski town Chamonix Mont-Blanc and is known for some of the most famous melted cheese dishes in the world — raclette, fondue savoyarde, and tartiflette — so of course its fromages will make some of the best grilled cheese sandwiches ever.
Savoyard cooking is based on a staple diet of cheese and potatoes. The foods are hearty, with a high caloric value, making it a good source of fuel for intense mountain activities. Traditionally, the foods were grown and produced locally in the summer and were easy to store during long winter months.
I have so many favourite local cheeses, like beaufort and reblochon, but today I want to talk about tomme. Tomme de Savoie is easily recognizable with its thick, dark skin. Typically made with cow milk, it is a semi-firm cheese made from leftover skim milk after the cream was removed to make butter, making it a relatively low-fat cheese. It is creamy, fruity and nutty, but tastes different depending on the season it was made due to the cows’ change of diet.
The other day, I found this interesting piece of tomme that had been prepared with Génépi. Génépi is an alpine liqueur made from Artemisia genepi, more commonly known as wormwood in English. It grows about 2000m above sea level and is a (less toxic) relative of absinthe. This liqueur is a bit of an acquired taste, sweet but herbal and almost medicinal. It’s yellow to pale green in colour and usually has a sprig or two of wormwood inside the bottle.
I first tried génépi after returning from a daytrip to Argentière, just east of Chamonix. I had stumbled on an amazing shop filled to the brim with local foods and alcohols. Candies and honey lined shelves, saucissons were piled high, and all sorts of cheeses were illuminated at the main counter.
I didn’t know what Génépi was, but I liked the bottle and was intrigued by the branch (it reminded me of Żubrówka), so I took a small bottle home. I also grabbed some génépi candies that were shaped like miniature pinecones. I’m glad I got both, because I absolutely love this stuff!
I also took home some local honey, beaufort cheese, saucisson de montagne, crusty rye bread, and some local flora from my hikes.
Anyways, you’re probably wondering what I did with that cheese I mentioned earlier. Once I found the tomme, you can imagine how excited I was to try it!
This one has its classic buttery taste, but the herbal flavours bring it to another level. The rind was washed with the génépi liquor and then covered with dried sprigs of the plant, giving it a unique herbal flavour. I found this lightened the heaviness of the cheese and also complimented the types of arctic herbs I like to season my food with. Most importantly, it melts wonderfully and creates a yummy crust.
In honour of Grilled Cheese Sandwich day, I obviously had to make a sandwich with this cheese. Keeping with old traditions, I opted for an open-face. I chose my favourite poppy seed baguette as the base. I covered my slices with some cheese, put it under the broiler for a few minutes, and slathered it with homemade tomato+leek+garlic confit (which tastes awesome with cheeses in general). I then sprinkled on some angelica seeds and arctic time to compliment the wormwood. I then added a wee bit of arctic herb infused salt and some black pepper. It was delicious.
Hope you liked my little anecdote and I look forward to sharing more about my adventures in France with you!