Description
The Sainte-Maure de Touraine PDO is a soft-paste cheese, uncooked, produced with raw and whole goat's milk from breeds located in the pastures and alpine areas surrounding the Massif de Sancy.
Production Area
The production area of Sainte-Maure de Touraine PDO covers the department of Indre-et-Loire and some neighbouring areas in the departments of Loir-et-Cher, Indre, Vienne in the Centre and Poitou-Charantes regions.
Production Method
The soft paste is obtained by means of milk coagulation made with a small addition of rennet. The curd is put into cheese moulds to drip. Later the cheeses are salted and their surface covered with ash, than tied up with a raffia string which crosses their centre. This is useful to compact the cheese. Seasoning lasts at least 10 days.
Appearance and Flavour
Sainte-Maure de Touraine PDO is shaped like a truncated cone and measures from 16 cm to 18 cm of height, the largest diameter is of 5.5. cm, whilst the smallest is of 4.5 cm. It weighs about 250 gr. It has a flowered rind's surface in a colour spanning from light grey to cornflower-blue/grey. It features a smooth paste, velvety and fondant, which becomes drier and more friable with ripening. The taste of goat's milk is delicate with a slight aftertaste of mushrooms.
History
Many documents of different periods confirm the long tradition which brought to the quality and fame of Sainte-Maure de Touraine PDO. The farming of goats and the production of cheese in the Touraine region go back to the Carolingian period (8th and 9th century), as confirmed by the historic archive of the Indre-et-Loire department.
Gastronomy
Sainte-Maure de Touraine PDO is conserved in the least cold department of the refrigerator, wrapped in its package paper or in a foil. Before eating it, it is suggested to leave it at room temperature for about one hour. Sainte-Maure de Touraine PDO is often eaten at the end of a meal. Cut in small slices, it can be served as aperitif, but it can be also used as an ingredient to prepare quiches. It is ideal with the wines produced in the region, light and fruity red wines like Bourgueil, Chinon, Gamay or Cabernet d'Anjou or a dry white wine like Touraine.
Marketing
The product is sold as Sainte-Maure de Touraine PDO. It is marketed whole.
Distinctive Features
Sainte-Maure de Touraine PDO is characterised in an unmistakable manner by the raffia string which crosses its centre. The raffia is useful both to compact the cheese during cheese-making and to aerate it through its central nucleus.
