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Traditions die hard in the world of cheesemaking. So many of the distinguishing traits of our most beloved cheeses from Europe were dictated centuries ago by the constraints of the land, the nuances of the milk, the natural yeast and bacteria present in the area, and the absence of refrigeration. Shapes, sizes, textures, and flavors have often been the direct result of the cheesemaker's environment -- what we all blithely call terroir now -- as well as the cleverness to make something out of very little. And many are simply the fruits of a happy accident. All of this applies to the semi-firm cheese Morbier, named for a farming community in France's Franche-Comte region that is in effect an offspring of the region's more famous cheese, Comte. Morbier is unique due to the layer of ash that runs horizontally through the wheel's middle as though the whole thing were a layer cake with frosting in between. It seems that long ago when cheesemakers were finished making Comte for the day, they would gather the remaining curds and push them into wooden molds only halfway to the top. They would then rub their hands on the sides of the copper cauldrons in which they had previously cooked the milk for the Comte, patting the curds to transfer the black ash evenly over the fresh cheese to protect it from air and insects through the night. The next day, once again after making wheels of Comte from the fresh morning milk, they would place the leftover fresh curd into the molds atop the ash. Originally, these strange cheeses would be kept for the family to eat, reserving the more valuable large wheels of Comte for the aging rooms and eventually, the market. In time, the wheels of Morbier, as it became known, made their way to market, presumably because they too were now in surplus. Thus began the tradition that still continues today, although admittedly much of the current Morbier is made in factories where the ash (or in some cases, food coloring) is applied for looks and has no practical function. However, a few artisan producers of Morbier still apply the ash by hand in the traditional manner, though there too it is really only for looks since the cheese is almost never made in two steps anymore. Morbier is still a delicious cheese that can elicit oohs and aahs from guests as it is cut open to reveal the layer of ash within. At one time, it was common to melt Morbier by the fire and smear it onto crusty bread or hot potatoes, as is the practice with the raclettes in nearby Switzerland. Morbier works well in sandwiches or on a cheese plate, and is a worthy partner to full-flavored salami or a spicy saucisson sec, good country bread, nuts, and wine. A tradition worth raising a glass to.