La Tome was prepared from milk that had been “creamed” to make butter. As such it was an essential food, and as underlined in the response to the questionnaire of the Prefect Barante in 1807: the Tome is indeed defined there as the cheese “which is made in the households of the “countryside”, “the one that consumes the peasant” and “which we cannot do without at each meal” For the gourmets of the 18th and 19th centuries who were lovers of fatty cheeses, the Tome was of little interest and this explains their silence on this basic product of the Savoyard cheese business. This does not prevent it from being marketed locally, as evidenced by the prices of the Maximum of 1793. In the two departments of Savoie, it is already found on the stalls of merchants. It is most often in the state of “fresh cheese”, but we sometimes also mention the “so-called lean cheese and called Tome”, or even “dry Tome”. The latter is moreover more expensive than the fresh one, perhaps because it is refined. Until the 18th century, the Tome is reserved for domestic consumption. For Savoyards, it is an essential part of the evening meal and snacks. Today, it is a full-fledged platter cheese.
Matouille recipe
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