Pouligny-Saint-Pierre (cheese)

Infobox Cheese
name = Pouligny-Saint-Pierre


othernames =
country = France
regiontown = Berry
region =
town =
source = Goats
pasteurised = No
texture = Soft cheese with natural mould rind
fat =
protein =
dimensions =
weight =
aging = 2-5 weeks
certification = French AOC 1976

Pouligny-Saint-Pierre is a French goats'-milk cheese made in the Indre department of central France. Its name is derived from the commune of Pouligny-Saint-Pierre in the Indre department where it was first made in the 19th century.

The cheese is distinctive, being pyramidal in shape and golden brown in colour with speckles of grey-blue mould, and is often known by the nicknames "Eiffel Tower" or "Pyramid". It has a square base 6.5cm wide, is around 9cm high, and weighs 250g. [cite book | last = Masui | first = Kazuko
coauthors = Tomoko Yamada | title = French Cheeses
publisher = Dorling Kindersley
date = 1996 | pages = p. 81 | isbn = 0-7513-0896-X ] The central pâte is bright white with a smooth, crumbly texture that mixes an initial sour taste with salty and sweet overtones. The exterior has a musty odour reminiscent of hay.

It is made exclusively from unpasteurized milk. Both "fermier" (farmhouse) and "industriel" (dairy) production is used with the "fermier" bearing a green label, and "industriel" a red label. Its region of production is relatively small, taking in only 22 communes.

Manufacture

The manufacture is typical of the great goats cheeses of the Loire Valley. The coagulating milk is placed whole into moulds with holes to drain the whey. It is then dried in a well-ventilated cellar with "affinage" of at least two weeks, although the best examples are left for up to five weeks. Production now occurs all year round although farmhouse manufacturers produce between spring and autumn.

Pouligny-Saint-Pierre received AOC status in 1976. [cite web|url=http://www.inao.gouv.fr/public/produits/showTexte.php?ID_TEXTE_CONSOLIDE=339|title=AOC Pouligny-Saint-Pierre |publisher=INAO] 294 tons were produced in 2005 of which 55% was "fermier". [cite web| url=http://www.cniel.com/Prodlait/AOC/Poulign.html | title=Le Pouligny Saint-Pierre| publisher=Maison du Lait]

References