Sainte-Maure de Touraine

Infobox Cheese
name = Sainte-Maure de Touraine


othernames =
country = France
regiontown = Touraine
region =
town =
source = Goats
pasteurised =
texture = Soft-ripened
fat =
protein =
dimensions =
weight =
aging = at least 10 days
certification = French AOC 1990

Sainte-Maure de Touraine is a French cheese produced in the region of Touraine, mainly in the department of Indre-et-Loire. It is named after the small town of Sainte-Maure-de-Touraine, in the department of Indre-et-Loire, near Chinon.

Sainte-Maure de Touraine is an unpasteurized cheese made from goat's whole milk. It has the form of a small log, around 16-17 cm in length, and weighs at least 250 g. It is white and soft under a greyish mouldy rind. A remarkable feature is the straw through its centre, marked by the AOC seal and a number indicating the producer. The straw is used, in the making, to keep the roll together. The finished cheese has 45% milkfat.

Quality control

Protected since 1990 by the AOC Seal, Sainte-Maure de Touraine is made with traditional methods. It should not be confused with "Sainte-Maure", also produced in Touraine, but without meeting the stringent AOC production criteria. "Sainte-Maure" is the industrial counterpart of the high-quality, traditionally made, Sainte-Maure de Touraine. Their straw is not marked by a seal, thus differentiating them from AOC cheeses.

Production

1,065 tons of Sainte-Maure de Touraine were produced in 2003 [http://www.cniel.com/Prodlait/AOC/Tourai.html] , 58% on dairies and 42% on farms. Since it became a AOC in 1990, its production has strongly increased, from 275 tons (a nearly 300% increase). It is now the second largest produced goat's cheese AOC in France, just behind Crottin de Chavignol.