Morbier A.O.C. is a 'lait cru', raw milk cheese. It has a soft paste that has a distinct aroma and with a flavor that only lingers on your taste buds for a short while. The maturation of Morbier is usually 3 months.

At first glance this French gourmet cheese from the Jura looks as though it has a band of mold running through the middle of it. In fact, it is ash or charcoal. In the past the cheese was made from leftover curd from other cheeses. In those days Morbier was made on farms on the lower slopes of the Jura during the winter months.

The first day's curd was preserved by a layer of ash until the next day's curd was added.

Morbier is made in flattish cylinders with a grayish-brown rind that is somewhat sticky and bulging ivory paste. They have a meadowsweet aroma of nuts and hay.

Similar cheeses are Fontina d'Aosta, Tomme de Savoie and Saint Nectaire.