Laguiole, also called Tome de Laguiole is a French unpasteurised, hard cheese of cylindrical shape made from cow’s milk. It derives its name from the village of Laguiole on the plateau of Aubrac, situated in the region of Aveyron in the southern part of France. Laguiole was first made at a monastery in the mountains of Aubrac, situated in Massif Central. But production reached its peak at the beginning of 20th century, when the monks transferred the recipe to the ‘buronniers’. It has been protected by the AOC seal since 1961. Affinage takes at least four months and the temperature of affinage and conservation must be below 140C.
Laguiole has a thick, greyish-orange and natural rind beneath which lies a straw-coloured supple and firm pate. The rich and creamy texture of the pate right away melts away in the mouth unveiling a sharp and yet slightly sour flavour. An aromatic cheese, Laguiole is great as a table cheese and one of the principal ingredients in Aligot – a traditional mashed potato French dish.
Origin: France, Midi-Pyrénées – Languedoc-Roussillon – Auvergne Milk : Raw Texture pressed non cooked Fat (%) : 30 Pairing : Red wine Seasonality : September to March Animal : Cow Intensity : Medium Appearance : Firm Pregnant women: No PDO/AOP : Yes
Although much imitated everywhere, production of Camembert originated in Normandy, France, invented in 1791 by Marie Harel. The name “Camembert de Normandie” is protected under AOC rules that were grantd in 1983, meaning that cheeses bearing this name have to be made according to specific guidelines.
Origin: France; Normandy
Piece of 250g Best before: 1 week after the delivery
Valençay cheese is one of the classic French cheeses made in the province of Berry in central France. It is named after the town of Valençay in the Indre department, France.
This cheese comes in two types: the one coated with wood ash and produced on farms is called Valençay Fermier while the other coated with vegetable ash and made in dairies or industries is called Valençay Laitier.
Valençay is an unpasteurised goats-milk cheese. Its rind has a rustic blue-grey colour which is made of the natural moulds. The rind is then darkened by dusting charcoal powder. It is available usually between March and December, with peak manufacture between April and August.
Valençay cheese used to have a shape of a perfect pyramid with a pointed top. But when Napoleon returned to the castle of Valencay after his unsuccessful expedition in Egypt, he saw the cheese, in a fit of rage drew his sword and cut off the top of the cheese. Since then the cheese has always been made with a flattened top.
Comté was one of the first few kinds of cheese to receive an AOC (Appellation d’origine controlee) status in 1958. It is one of the most popular AOC cheeses in France with around 40,000 tonnes of annual production.