Description
The Picodon de l'Ardèche PDO is a soft-paste cheese produced with whole milk from sheep of Alpine and Saanen breeds and their crossbreeds and local breeds.
Production Area
The production area of Picodon de l'Ardèche covers the departments of Drôme and Ardèche, in the canton of Valréas (Vaucluse) and in the canton of Barjac (Gard), in the regions of Rhône-Alpes, Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur and Languedoc-Roussillon.
Production Method
The raw and whole milk used for the production is added with a small amount of rennet to make it curdle. The curd obtained is put into cheese moulds by hand. During dripping, the cheeses are dry salted on both sides. Later the cheeses are removed from moulds, dried and ripened. There are two types of ripening; traditional Picodon which lasts minimum 8 days and the Picodon Affiné Méthode Dieulefit which lasts a month, during which the cheese is washed more times.
Appearance and Flavour
Picodon de l'Ardèche PDO has the shape of a small disk with rounded borders. Depending on the method of ripening used, the cheese achieves a different appearance: traditional Picodon de l'Ardèche PDO, which weighs about 60 gr, measures from 5 cm to 7 cm diameter and from 1.8 cm to 2.5 cm height, whilst Picodon affiné méthode Dieulefit weighs minimum 45 gr and measures 4.5 cm to 6 cm diameter and 1.3 cm to 2.5 cm height. Both cheeses have a white or blue rind, while the paste shows a colour spanning from white to light yellow and, if ripe, it becomes marbled and friable. The flavour is fresh, milky and pungent and becomes slightly acid with an aftertaste of walnut when ripe.
History
The Picodon de l'Ardèche PDO has always been known as the best goat cheese in the Ardèche and Drôme mountains. Its name has an Occitan origin and means prickling. This cheese has originated from the need to conserve goat's milk for a long period to consume it, in form of cheese, in different periods of the year.
Gastronomy
Picodon de l'Ardèche PDO must be conserved in the least cold compartment of the refrigerator, wrapped into its original package or into a sealed box. Before eating it, it is suggested to leave it rest at room temperature for about an hour. It is tasted cold, generally at the end of a meal, or used to prepare warm dishes. Both cold and warm can be combined with salad. It is very good grilled and can be marinated into white wine, brandy or olive oil. The wines of Côtes du Rhônes, both white and red, are perfect to accompany it.
Marketing
The product is sold as Picodon de l'Ardèche PDO and Picodon Affiné Méthode Dieulefit PDO. It is marketed whole.
Distinctive Features
The nurture of goats, which crop on mountainous meadows and slopes covered by shrubs consisting of aromatic and tasteful vegetation give to Picodon de l'Ardèche PDO its characteristic pungent flavour.
