Valais alpine built to melt—buttery and savory raw, deepens when heated.
Young Valais alpine cow's milk cheese, high fat, built to melt. Buttery, lightly tangy, classic with potatoes, cornichons, and pickled onions.
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From the Canton of Valais in Switzerland, this is a young cow's milk alpine built for one thing above all: melting. Higher in fat than most of its alpine cousins, which is exactly what gives it that glossy, spoonable pool when it hits heat.
The paste is semi-soft and supple, a pale straw color under a washed orange-tinged rind. Eaten cold off the knife it's buttery and savory with a light tang, a soft mushroomy note off the rind, and a gentle toasted-hazelnut pull through the middle. Put it under a broiler or over a raclette grill and the whole thing changes character: the fat releases, the milk sweetens, and the savory side deepens into something earthy and warm.
Scrape it over boiled potatoes, melt it onto roast vegetables, or thin-slice it onto a sandwich. It's a communal cheese, the kind you pull out when people are standing around the kitchen waiting for the next portion to bubble.
Semi-soft and supple, gives easily under the knife. Higher fat than most alpines, which is what makes it melt into that signature glossy, spoonable pool.
Savory and buttery up front, with a gentle tang and a light barnyard note from the washed rind. Plenty of character without the bigger pull of an aged Gruyère or Comté.
Finish sits in the middle of the palate, buttery and a little nutty, fading clean within fifteen seconds or so. Melted, that finish stretches out longer.
Rich cow's milk character runs through the whole bite, fresh-cream and warm-butter forward. The fat content is what gives raclette its calling-card mouthfeel.
Light toasted-hazelnut and brown-butter notes through the middle, more restrained than an aged alpine because the wheel is young.
A soft mushroomy lift from the washed rind carries into the paste edge, with a clean cellar note rather than full barnyard funk.
No piquancy or peppery bite. This is a mellow, melting cheese built for comfort, not heat.
Washed rind
Washed orange-tinged rind adds a soft mushroomy, lightly funky edge that deepens once the cheese hits heat.
Raclette stands on its own, but the right partners turn a wedge into a moment. Regional pairings first — they were built for each other.
Valais Fendant is the traditional partner, cutting the fat with crisp minerality. A light Pinot Noir or dry Riesling does the same job, and a clean lager keeps the table casual.
The classic Valaisan table sets raclette next to boiled potatoes, cornichons, and pickled onions. The acid and brine cut through the fat and reset the palate between bites.
Video represents style and type of cheese - may not be an exact match in all cases.
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Hand-cut to order the day it ships. Packed cold for overnight delivery.
Taste it for yourself →Cold-ship 2-day overnight nationwide
