Chaource cheese

Chaource

Country of origin	France
Region, town	Aube, Yonne
Source of milk	Cows
Pasteurised	Depends on variety
Texture	Soft-ripened
Fat content	~50%
Aging time	2-4 weeks
Certification	French AOC 1977
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Chaource is a French cheese, originally manufactured in the village of Chaource in the Champagne-Ardenne region.

Chaource is a cow's milk cheese, cylindrical in shape at around 10 cm in diameter and 6 cm in height, weighing either 250 or 450 g. The central pâte is soft, creamy in colour, and slightly crumbly, and is surrounded by a white Penicillium candidum rind.

History

The cheese has been made in its namesake village since at least the Middle Ages. Cheese is still manufactured there, ranging from small cheese makers to industrial-scale production further away. It is only made in a tightly controlled area in the départements of Aube and Yonne.

Manufacture

It was recognised as an AOC cheese in 1970, and has been fully regulated since 1977.

The AOC regulations state that:

Coagulation must be principally lactic, and last at least 12 hours.
Drainage of the cheese must be slow and spontaneous.

Made using a similar recipe to that of Brie, affinage is usually between two and four weeks and the cheese is generally eaten young. The gently-salted central pâte has a light taste and a characteristic 'melt-in-the-mouth' texture. The fat content is a minimum of 50%.

Regulations currently allow both pasteurised or unpasteurised milk to be used during manufacture.

Style

In her 2010 book Cheese: Exploring Taste and Tradition, Patricia Michelson says: "Chaource has a bitter nutshell-like flavor, with an earthiness reminiscent of the style of the wine here, and you would think it would be a perfect match for the cheese. You should be careful to find the perfect flavor partner, however, because the cheese is also on the salty side."^[1]

References

↑ Michelson, Patricia (2010). Cheese: Exploring Taste and Tradition. Gibbs M. Smith Inc. p. 59. ISBN 978-1423606512.

French cheeses

AOC	Abondance Banon Beaufort Bleu d'Auvergne Bleu des Causses Bleu de Gex Bleu du Vercors Brie de Meaux Brie de Melun Brocciu Camembert Cantal Chabichou du Poitou Chaource Chevrotin Comté Coulommiers Crottin de Chavignol Époisses Fourme d'Ambert Fourme de Montbrison Laguiole Langres Livarot Mâconnais Maroilles Mont d'Or Morbier Munster Neufchâtel Ossau-Iraty Pélardon Picodon Pont-l'Évêque Pouligny-Saint-Pierre Reblochon Rigotte de Condrieu Rocamadour Roquefort Saint-Nectaire Sainte-Maure de Touraine Salers Selles-sur-Cher Valençay

Unprotected varieties	Abbaye de Tamié Bleu de Bresse Brillat-Savarin Brie Cabécou Cancoillotte Carré de l'Est Chaumes Clochette Délice d'Argental Délice de Bourgogne Édel de Cléron Etorki Explorateur Gaperon Mont des Cats Mimolette Olivet cendré Port Salut Raclette Rochebaron Saint Agur Blue Saint-Félicien Saint-Marcellin Saint-Paulin Vacherin Vieux-Boulogne

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