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

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 pasteurized or unpasteurized milk to be used during manufacture.

References