BEAUFORT: The so-called prince of gruyeres—a firm, buttery cow's-milk cheese, pleasantly salty and sometimes slightly sweet. In texture and flavor it resembles good Swiss cheese, but it rarely has holes.

BLEU DE TIGNES: A small, smooth, round, blue-veined cow's-milk cheese with a distinctive flavor. (It is also called tignard or persille de tignes.)

REBLOCHON: Popular all over France, this semisoft, creamy cow's-milk cheese derives its name from the local dialect word "reblocher", meaning the milk that drips from cows' udders.

TOMME DE COURCHEVEL: A goat's-milk tomme, smooth and mildly acidic. (Tomme de beaufort and tomme des allues, also from the Savoie, have similar character.)

TOMME DE SAVOIE: One of the treasures of traditional Savoyard cheese-making, tomme de Savoie (or something very much like it) was praised by Pliny the Elder and the physician Galen. A firm but supple cow's-milk cheese, it has a mild nutty flavor and a rich aroma.