Ramequin du Bugey

Ramequin du Bugey: a traditional cheese

On the farms around Saint-Rambert en Bugey, nothing that could be eaten was thrown away! A small cheese made from buttermilk, what’s left of skimmed cow’s milk, was born. Intended for local consumption, this confidential cheese, about 7 cm in diameter, translucent and ochre-colored, is a traditional and convivial dish that is eaten in the form of fondue (*melted cheese in patois), contained in a ramekin from which it takes its name.

Low in calories, it was generally eaten on Lean Fridays, according to the Catholic religion. This tradition lives on, thanks to the commitment of producers who continue to produce Ramequin du Bugey.

Producers

It’s a real, typically local pleasure to share as an aperitif or with a light meal: good bread to dip in a ramekin of runny cheese with a sausage to cook, a salad, all accompanied by a glass of Gamay, it’s a real treat!

Local dairy specialities

A land of dairy production, the Ain is bursting with quality dairy products.

Faisselle fromage blanc: a favorite throughout the region. Salted, with or without herbs, with onions, simply sweetened… rarely without cream. Its distinctive lactic curd flavor (due to the addition of ferments or natural fermentation) gives it a pronounced acidic note. Lightly drained and delicately ladled, fromage frais is sold in faisselle.
Bresse Bleu: this creamy blue cheese, produced by the Bressor cheese dairy, with its authentically Bresse character, has taken pride of place on many French tables since 1951.
Domaine de Bresse: under its white rind, this blue hides a refined persiflage and a melting, creamy texture with a subtle taste of cream and button mushroom.

Cheese lovers, you’re in heaven! All that’s left is to choose your wine: Bugey-Cerdon with its fine bubbles, Bugey wine or Coteaux de l’Ain wine, you’ll be spoilt for choice to find the right match!

©Bugey wine and pairing |Caroline Daeschler

GOOD TO KNOW

Short circuits and quality products

Ain cheeses are short-run products. Dairies collect milk from farms less than 10 km from the production site, and cheeses are matured in local cellars.

Farms, local and artisan producers, cheese dairies, dairies, ripeners: all the trades work together in an industry that is committed to preserving ancestral know-how, where product quality and good taste are paramount.