2242 T per year
   4 producers
   1 farmer

The Chaource from Champagne is a cow’s milk cheese, surface-ripened with a soft pate. But its heart is always harder, even after maturation. It exists in two different sizes, both cylindrics : 250 to 300 gr for 8 cm across , and 450 to 550 gr for 11 cm across.

Criteria

   Cow’s milk. Raw or pasteurised.
   The milk is tranformed less than 48h after the last collection.
   The maturation is 14 days minimum.
   The cows are feeded for 85% with grass from the AOC area.
   The production area is restricted to few cantons (administrative division) in Aube and Yonne.

History

It is a famous medieval cheese. Charles le Bel tasted it when he came to the city of Chaource (about 30 from Troyes). Marguerite de Bourgogne required it to her table every day.

Production

The milk is curdled during 12 hours minimum. Then it is moulded in special containers with holes, drained and salted. Finally, the cheese is put in a humid cave for 15 days at least.

Choice and tasting

Eyes : surface-ripened, white and regular. White and creamy pate.

Nose : light smells of cream and mushrooms.

Palate : salted and sour.

Appreciate the Chaource with a rosé or a white wine.