Valencay AOP (250g) (Goat) - Les Freres Marchand

Area: Centre, France
Milk: raw goat’s milk
Type: soft paste with bloomy rind
Weight: 250 g
Fat : 26%

Maturing time: 28 to 35 days

Tasting advice
Valençay matches very well with any time of the day: at aperitif, as a snack or after a meal. Every chance is good to enjoy its sweet flavor.
Wine-pairing
It perfectly matches with a wine from its land, such as a white, rosé or red Valençay.
Appearance: light grey and light blue rind
Texture: solid and homogeneous texture
Sense of smell: smell of undergrowth, adorned with floral nuances
Taste: slightly lactic flavor, fragrance of fresh nuts or dried fruits

History
The legend tells that the Prince of Talleyrand (French diplomat, 1756-1838) is at the origin of the Valençay cheese.
He would have cut off the top of the pyramid so that the sight of the goat cheeses, in the shape of a beautiful pyramid, does not offend the Emperor Bonaparte (first Emperor of France, 1804-1814).
Prince of Talleyrand made the truncated Pyramid known to good Parisian aristocratic tables.

Fabrication
Traditionally produced in Berry, Valençay is made in a zone which essentially extends over the Indre department and some municipalities bordering of Cher, Indre-et-Loire and Loir-et-Cher departments.
To produce Valençay, it is very important for Gabriel to respect the methods of fabrication used in the past. First, rennet is added in raw goat milk. The duration of curdling is included between 24 and 36 hours.
Curdle is then molded, drained, unmolded and salted with ash salt. The cheese ripening takes at least 11 days from the renneting date.