New Ballas Cheese Feature: Tomme Noir

New Ballas Location Cheese Feature
Always cut fresh to order, come in for a taste.
All stores carry a different selection, check each store for selection.

Tomme Noir with Peppercorns

The Black Coat Pyrenees Cheese comes from the south-west of France in the district of Ariege, Hautes-Pyrenees. Half pressed and made with uncooked pasteurized cow milk, it falls into the semifirm cheese category. The black skin coating gives the lacy white paste interior a fine finished appearance. The milk comes from the specific areas defined by the "Certification de conformite” (conformity certification). Tomme des Pyrenees is made and aged entirely within the same place as the milk is, produced by local business’ workshops. Rennet is added to the cheese, and after curdling, the curd is cut for extra lactose removal. It is put into a mold and shaped. Once removed from the mold, it is then salted and aged in cool, humid cellars where it is turned by hand every day and cured for 21 to 45 days


Tomme Noir Pyrenees is a fine cheese board companion, lending to the none aggressive side of a selection. The 50% maître grasse (butterfat content) is perfect for melting in sandwiches, on soups, or shreds for casseroles and signature pizzas. It slices and cubes wonderfully for buffet style servings and is delicious with the Autumn apple bounty. Note: Tomme des Pyrenees pur vache, also known as Tomme Noire, was made in the twelfth century in the region of SaintGirons. Until the nineteenth century, this cheese was particularly famous in its region but now can be found throughout France.