The Valençay PDO is a soft-paste cheese made with milk from goats of Alpine or Saanen breeds and their crossbreeds, of which the farms are located in the Berry pastures.
Production Method
Non-homogenised, raw and whole milk is used to produce it, coming from the last four milkings. The curd, obtained from a rennet mix with above all milk content, is not broken up but removed and put directly into moulds, without pressing. The moulds are left to drip and then to ripen for at least seven days. To be sold, they must show a superficial rind with visibile moulds.
Appearance and Flavour
Valençay PDO has a shape like a truncated pyramid with a base of almost 6.5 cm of width. The external rind, due to the moulds, has a colour spanning from light grey to bluish grey. The flavour has a slight hazelnut note.
Production Area
The production area of Valençay PDO covers the departments of Indre and some municipal areas in the neighbouring departments of Cher, Loir-et-Cher and Indre-et-Loire, in the region Centre.
History
The presence of goats in the region of Berry is confirmed by the documents of Charles the Great and in the archives of Châtre en Berry dating back to the 16th century. Talleyrand, Lord of Valençay, favoured the appearance of this cheese also in the aristocratic dinners in Paris during the First Empire. The tradition tells that, in the past, Valençay PDO had the shape of a pyramid but Napoleon, during the retreat of Egypt, stopped at the castle of Valençay, saw this cheese and truncated its top with his sword, as it recalled the Egyptian pyramids.
Gastronomy
Valençay PDO can be conserved wrapped into its package and stored in the least cold compartment of the refrigerator. Before eating it, it is suggested to leave it rest at room temperature for about half an hour. It can be eaten at the end of a meal, but it is ideal also with the aperitif or as a snack. It is perfect with the wine produced in the region like white, red and rosé Valençay.
Marketing
The product is sold as Valençay PDO. It is marketed whole or in small formats. For these last, on the label there is the writing petit (small).
Distinctive Features
Valençay PDO's peculiarities are due to both the edapho-climatic characteristics of pastures and to the cheese-making process which includes that the curd is put into the moulds without being broken up and then is left to drip without pressing it.
