Which are the finest cheeses of Auvergne? A tasting guide from Clermont-Ferrand

Alexandre Vialatte, whose name our hotel bears, chronicled Auvergne with a teasing tenderness, that of a man who knew one truly understands a region only by tasting its signature produce. He need not have written about cheese for his readers to grasp: here, the volcanic soil nourishes pastures that yield cheeses found nowhere else. Five of them bear an Appellation d'Origine Protégée. We invite you to discover them not as a list, but as a genuine tasting itinerary, beginning the moment you step out of the hotel.

Five cheeses, a single terroir: understanding Auvergne's PDO

Auvergne counts five cheeses protected by the Appellation d'Origine Protégée: Cantal, Saint-Nectaire, Fourme d'Ambert, Bleu d'Auvergne and Salers. An AOP guarantees that a product is crafted according to precise know-how, within a delimited geographic area, under the supervision of an independent body accredited by the INAO. It is not a mere marketing claim: it is a specification that protects both the consumer and the producer, and that explains why these five cheeses possess a flavour no imitation truly reproduces.

Fancy a gourmet stay in Clermont-Ferrand?

Cantal, the eldest of the pressed cheeses

Produced for more than 2,000 years in the hills that bear its name, the Cantal is one of France's most ancient cheeses. Its pressed, uncooked paste alters in character according to its maturation: young, it is supple and milky; semi-aged, denser; old, it develops hazelnut notes and at times hints of spice. It is the cheese to taste in three stages if you truly wish to understand what ageing changes.

Saint-Nectaire, the first PDO cheese of Auvergne

Saint-Nectaire exists in a fermier version (raw milk, produced on the farm) or a laitière version (pasteurised milk). Aged in a cellar upon a bed of rye straw, it develops a supple paste and aromas of undergrowth and hazelnut. It is, perhaps, the most versatile of the five, equally delightful on a cheese board as melted into a homemade Auvergne tartiflette.

Salers, the mountain pasture cheese

Salers is the most exacting of the five: it is produced exclusively from 15 April to 15 November, wholly farm-made from raw milk of cows fed on the alpine pasture grass. Its paste is dense, its aromas deep and herbaceous. To taste it is literally to savour a season and an altitude, those of the burons, the stone huts where it is still crafted in the traditional manner.

Bleu d'Auvergne, the marbled cheese celebrating its 50th year of AOP in 2026

Bleu d'Auvergne possesses a veined paste, a forthright flavour and a power deftly controlled by careful cellar ageing. It lends itself as readily to a cheese board as to the kitchen, notably in a sauce to accompany meat. Seasonal note: the appellation celebrates its 50th year of AOP in 2026, with a festival at the end of August — an occasion, should your stay fall then, to taste it upon its native soil.

Fourme d'Ambert, the great lady in blue

Another blue-veined cheese, yet gentler and more velvety than the Bleu d'Auvergne, with even marbling. Fourme d'Ambert pairs as well with sweet-and-savoury combinations as it does in sauces. It is often the blue cheese recommended to those who believe they do not care for blues.

The tasting guide: where and how to sample from the Hôtel Littéraire Alexandre Vialatte

Knowing the five AOPs is all very well. Knowing precisely where and how to taste them during your stay in Clermont-Ferrand is what truly transforms a weekend. Here is what the hotel's team recommends to our guests.

Head for the Halles Saint-Pierre, just a few minutes' walk away

From the Hôtel Littéraire Alexandre Vialatte, Place Delille, allow around ten minutes' walk through the historic centre, passing the Romanesque basilica Notre-Dame-du-Port, to reach Place Saint-Pierre and its gourmet halls. It is there, in this emblematic covered market of Clermont-Ferrand, that the city's finest cheese addresses are concentrated: several cheesemongers stand side by side, specialising in Auvergne AOP farmhouse cheeses matured on the premises, with the option to compose a platter by the counter or to savour it directly at a small standing spot. It is the perfect starting point to taste the five AOPs side by side, before deciding on your favourites.

Discover the neighbourhood surrounding the hotel

You will also find the majority of these cheeses at the hotel’s breakfast service, which aspires to be as local as it is indulgent. 

Our breakfast 

How to taste a cheese platter like an Auvergnat

Some guidelines provided by the local cheesemongers, to be applied without hesitation :

• Always begin with the mildest. Cantal jeune or Saint-Nectaire laitier first, so as not to overpower the palate before reaching the blues.
• Finish with the blue cheeses. Bleu d'Auvergne and Fourme d'Ambert last; their strength would overshadow everything else if one were to taste them too early.
• Accompany with a country loaf, not a classic baguette: the dense crumb stands up better to well-aged cheeses.
• A wine from the region — for instance, a red Côtes d'Auvergne — makes a natural pairing with Salers or aged Cantal.
• Never refrigerate a cheese board immediately before serving: remove the cheeses one hour beforehand so that each may fully reveal its aromas at room temperature.

The AOP Cheese Route, to prolong the experience

If your stay extends beyond a single weekend, the Association des Fromages AOP d'Auvergne offers a "route des fromages" which enables visits to farms and burons directly within the production territories, in the Monts du Cantal, the Cézallier or the Sancy. A splendid option for those who wish to prolong the tasting with encounters with the producers; the hotel's team will be delighted to advise you according to your availability and the time at your disposal.

Extend your stay in Clermont-Ferrand

The truffade, the finest way to conclude the tasting

There is one thing that mere tasting cannot offer you: the sensation of a cheese that stretches. This is precisely the purpose of the truffade, the emblematic dish of the Monts du Cantal, where potatoes and *tome fraîche de Cantal ou de Salers* are united in a single golden skillet.

The traditional recipe (for 4 people)

Ingredients :

• 1 kg of firm-fleshed potatoes (Charlotte or Bintje)
• 500 g of fresh tome of Cantal or Salers
• 2 to 3 cloves of garlic
• Goose or duck fat (or butter, if unavailable)
• Salt, pepper
• Fresh parsley (optional, for finishing)

Preparation :

1. Peel, wash and slice the potatoes into thin, even rounds (about 3 mm).
2. Sauté them in a cast‑iron casserole with the goose fat until they are richly golden.
3. Salt, pepper, cover and let simmer over low heat for about 20 minutes, until they are meltingly tender.
4. Add the minced garlic and stir.
5. Cut the fresh tome into thin slices and distribute them over the potatoes.
6. Reduce the heat and allow to melt without stirring for 4 to 5 minutes.
7. Stir vigorously so that the cheese strands, for it is the motion that makes the success of the dish.
8. Serve immediately, sprinkled with parsley, accompanied by a slice of jambon d'Auvergne.

Reserve your stay at Hôtel Littéraire Alexandre Vialatte

The team's advice

For an authentically stretchy result, favour a young fresh tome; it is this which imparts the characteristic texture, markedly different from that of a traditionally aged tomme.  And if you prefer not to cook during your stay, several establishments in central Clermont-Ferrand offer it on their menus: do not hesitate to ask the reception for recommendations, the team knows the finest tables of the moment.

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FAQ

What are the five AOP cheeses of Auvergne?
Le Cantal, le Saint-Nectaire, la Fourme d'Ambert, le Bleu d'Auvergne et le Salers sont les cinq fromages sous Appellation d'Origine Protégée produits en Auvergne.

Where can one taste Auvergne cheeses near the Hôtel Littéraire Alexandre Vialatte ?
Les Halles Saint-Pierre, about a ten-minute walk from the hotel, house several cheesemongers specializing in Auvergne AOP cheeses, with tastings available on site.

What is the difference between truffade and aligot ?
Truffade combines pieces of sautéed potatoes with *tome fraîche de Cantal*.
Aligot is a mashed potato purée worked with *tomme fraîche*, garlic and cream until an elastic, stringy texture is achieved.

Which Auvergne cheese should one use for a successful truffade?
The fresh tome of Cantal or of Salers, young, is indispensable: it is she who imparts the characteristic stringy texture of the dish.