Tomme de Savoie, like most Tommes, is usually made from the skim milk left over after the cream is used to make butter or richer cheeses. As a result, the cheese has a relatively low fat content (between 20 and 45%). The cheese is made year-round, and typically has a slightly different character depending on whether the cows fed on winter hay or summer grass.
The cheese normally comes in discs approximately 18 cm across, 5-8 cm in thickness, and weighing between 1 and 2 kg. It is first pressed, and then matured for several months in a traditional cellar, which produces the characteristically thick rind and often adds a faint cheese-cellar flavor.
See also: List of cheeses, List of French cheeses