Selles-sur-Cher cheese
A cylindrical goat cheese with a grey-blue mould exterior.
Selles-sur-Cher is a French goat-milk cheese from the Centre-Val de Loire region, first made in the 19th century in the commune of Selles-sur-Cher, Loir-et-Cher. It is sold in small cylindrical units with a grey-blue mould on the dry exterior, and its pâte is rigid and heavy at first but moist and softening as it melts. The cheese has a lightly salty taste with a persistent aftertaste, and the mould is often eaten for its considerably stronger flavour.
Quick Facts
- Country
- France
- Source
- Goats
- Texture
- Soft cheese with natural mould rind
- Aging
- 10–30 days
- Certification
- French AOC 1975
Facts from the source article.
Manufacture in France
To make a single 150-gram wheel of Selles-sur-Cher, about 1.3 liters of raw milk are used. The milk is soured with a ferment, warmed to roughly 20°C, then a little rennet is added and left to set for a full day. Unlike most cheeses, the curd is scooped straight into a mold with tiny holes so the whey drains naturally. The cheese then rests for 10 to 30 days in a cool, airy room at 80% humidity—drier than a typical cellar. During this time, it dries and a rind develops, helped by an initial dusting of charcoal that encourages its signature mold. Production comes from farmhouse (36%), cooperative, and industrial sources, totaling 747 tons in 2005. While industrial production runs year-round, the cheese is finest from spring through autumn. It earned AOC status in 1975, which requires it to be made in specific areas of Cher, Indre, and Loir-et-Cher.
More in French Cheeses with Protected Designation of Origin
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced