8th International Summer School on
Training And Research On Testing
Besançon/Métabief, France
July 2 - 6, 2012
A survival guide to the Franche-Comté region
The Franche-Comté region represents a hostile environment, with cold temperatures (national record is held by the village of Mouthe, aka "The Little Siberia", with -36.7° in 1968), heavy rains (a necessary evil to maintain green landscapes), strong breeze, and two seasons called: "winter" and "August 15".
To survive in such a place, inhabitants invented, over the years, many subterfuges to defeat mother nature's evil plans. These can be classified into two categories.
Wine & liquors
The Jura wines are famous worldwide. Jura wines are distinctive and unusual wines, the most famous being vin jaune, which is made by a similar process to Sherry, developing under a flor-like strain of yeast. This is made from the local Savagnin grape variety. Other grape varieties include Poulsard, Trousseau, and Chardonnay. Other wine styles found in Jura includes a vin de paille made from Chardonnay, Poulsard and Savagnin, a sparkling Crémant du Jura made from slightly unripe Chardonnay grapes, and a vin de liqueur known as Macvin du Jura made by adding marc to halt fermentation.
The town of Pontarlier was famous for the production of absinthe until its ban in 1915. With the ban partially lifted in the 1990s, distilleries are once again producing absinthe in Pontarlier.
Cheese
Objectively, the regional cheeses of Franche-Comté are simply the best of the world.
- Comté is named after the region. It is made in flat circular discs, each between 40 and 70 centimetres in diameter, and around 10 centimetres in height. Each weighs up to 50 kg. The fat content is around 45%.The rind is usually a dusty-brown colour, and the internal pâte is a pale creamy yellow. The texture is relatively hard and flexible, and the taste is strong and slightly sweet.
- Cancoillote is made from melting pure metton with a bit of water. It is almost fat- and calories-free (therefore good for diets, as it can be a good calcium provider without the fat)
- Morbier is a semi-soft cows' milk cheese of France named after the small village of Morbier in Franche-Comté. It is ivory colored, soft and slightly elastic, and is immediately recognizable by the black layer of tasteless ash separating it horizontally in the middle. It has a rind that is yellowish, moist, and leathery.
- Mont d'or is a soft, rich, seasonal cheese made from cow's-milk in Switzerland or France. It has a grayish-yellow washed rind and typically contains 45 to 50 percent milk fat (in dry matter). It is produced between August 15 and March 15, and sold between September 10 and May 10. It is marketed in round boxes of various diameters made of spruce. It is often served warmed in its original packaging and eaten like a fondue.
A cheese dairy, La Fromagerie Sancey, is located in the center of the Metabief village. It is possible to visit the cheese factory and to buy local products (cheese of course, but also wines).
Traditional meal of the Region Franche-Comté
The traditional meal of the region gathers together the best ingredients produced in Franche-Comté. It consists of melted local cheese, served on hot patatoes, along with an assiette of charcuterie and salad, accompanied by a regional wine.
"Bon appétit !"
Most of the descriptions of this page are taken from www.wikipedia.org