Chabichou
Encyclopedia
Chabichou is a traditional soft, unpasteurized, natural-rind French
goat cheese (or Chèvre
) with a firm and creamy texture.
Chabichou is aged for 10 to 20 days.
. Many of them left the area but some settled there with their families and, in particular, their goat herds. The countryside was appropriate for grazing the "poor man's cow", as the pastures were excellent. The cheese was then named cheblis (“goat”, in Arabic
), which would become “chabichou" thereafter. However, the domestication of the goat in this area is supposed to date back to Roman colonization, and extends up to the present.
status in 1990 with the assistance of the efforts of Ségolène Royal
. It is known for its characteristic label. Its production rose to 555 tons in 2003.
Since 1782, Chabichou du Poitou has been mentioned in the French "Guide du voyageur à Poitiers et aux environs". When regional wine production slowed in the late 1800s due to the European phylloxera
crisis, production of Chabichou increased; production increased again with the development of the cooperative dairies (1906 in Bougon
).
The AOC production zone is limited to an area south of Haut-Poitou: the south of Vienne, the Deux-Sèvres
and the north of the Charente
.
See the official website of Chabichou du Poitou: http://www.chabichou-du-poitou.eu
during a 24-hour period between 20 and 22°C. This curd
is then moulded manually with a ladle or mixer into perforated and truncated moulds and left to drain for another 18 to 24 hours while turning it over it two or three times, maintaining it at 22°C. Afterwards, they are removed from the moulds and salted with dry salt
or sometimes in a brine
bath. It is then laid out in drying rooms, i.e. it is drained while being placed in moulds for 24 to 48 hours. Afterwards it is left to mature in cellars at between 10 and 12°C and within 80% to 90% humidity
. It remains there for at least 10 days, but generally for two or three weeks. Some are even preserved for months for a more vigorous flavor
.
, particularly one from the same region. More mature Chabichou is perhaps better with a red wine, an aperitif
or a Pineau des Charentes
.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
goat cheese (or Chèvre
Chèvre cheese
Goat cheese, or chèvre , is cheese made out of the milk of goats.-Properties:Although cow's milk and goat's milk have similar overall fat contents, the higher proportion of medium-chain fatty acids such as caproic, caprylic and capric acid in goat's milk contributes to the characteristic tart...
) with a firm and creamy texture.
Chabichou is aged for 10 to 20 days.
History
The legend of Chabichou goes back to 732, at the time of the defeat of the Saracens in the area, in the 8th century, after the Battle of PoitiersBattle of Tours
The Battle of Tours , also called the Battle of Poitiers and in Battle of the Court of the Martyrs, was fought in an area between the cities of Poitiers and Tours, located in north-central France, near the village of Moussais-la-Bataille, about northeast of Poitiers...
. Many of them left the area but some settled there with their families and, in particular, their goat herds. The countryside was appropriate for grazing the "poor man's cow", as the pastures were excellent. The cheese was then named cheblis (“goat”, in Arabic
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
), which would become “chabichou" thereafter. However, the domestication of the goat in this area is supposed to date back to Roman colonization, and extends up to the present.
Le Chabichou du Poitou
Chabichou du Poitou, made exclusively in the Poitou-Charentes region, acquired its AOCAppellation d'Origine Contrôlée
Appellation d’origine contrôlée , which translates as "controlled designation of origin", is the French certification granted to certain French geographical indications for wines, cheeses, butters, and other agricultural products, all under the auspices of the government bureau Institut National...
status in 1990 with the assistance of the efforts of Ségolène Royal
Ségolène Royal
Marie-Ségolène Royal , known as Ségolène Royal, is a French politician. She is the president of the Poitou-Charentes Regional Council, a former member of the National Assembly, a former government minister, and a prominent member of the French Socialist Party...
. It is known for its characteristic label. Its production rose to 555 tons in 2003.
Since 1782, Chabichou du Poitou has been mentioned in the French "Guide du voyageur à Poitiers et aux environs". When regional wine production slowed in the late 1800s due to the European phylloxera
Phylloxera
Grape phylloxera ; originally described in France as Phylloxera vastatrix; equated to the previously described Daktulosphaira vitifoliae, Phylloxera vitifoliae; commonly just called phylloxera is a pest of commercial grapevines worldwide, originally native to eastern North America...
crisis, production of Chabichou increased; production increased again with the development of the cooperative dairies (1906 in Bougon
Bougon
Bougon is a commune in the Deux-Sèvres department in the Poitou-Charentes region in western France.-References:*...
).
Melle, Deux-Sèvres
Melle is a commune in the Deux-Sèvres department in western France.It is today best known as the home town of Ségolène Royal, the 2007 Socialist candidate for the election of the Presidency of the Republic. Laurent Cantet was also born here.-History:...
and the north of the Charente
Charente
Charente is a department in southwestern France, in the Poitou-Charentes region, named after the Charente River, the most important river in the department, and also the river beside which the department's two largest towns, Angoulême and Cognac, are sited.-History:Charente is one of the original...
.
See the official website of Chabichou du Poitou: http://www.chabichou-du-poitou.eu
Manufacture
Chabichou of Poitou is made of fresh and whole goat's milk. It is quickly but slightly pressurized: less than 100 microliters per liter of milk. They then let the milk coagulateCoagulation
Coagulation is a complex process by which blood forms clots. It is an important part of hemostasis, the cessation of blood loss from a damaged vessel, wherein a damaged blood vessel wall is covered by a platelet and fibrin-containing clot to stop bleeding and begin repair of the damaged vessel...
during a 24-hour period between 20 and 22°C. This curd
Curd
Curds are a dairy product obtained by curdling milk with rennet or an edible acidic substance such as lemon juice or vinegar, and then draining off the liquid portion. The increased acidity causes the milk proteins to tangle into solid masses, or curds. The remaining liquid, which contains only...
is then moulded manually with a ladle or mixer into perforated and truncated moulds and left to drain for another 18 to 24 hours while turning it over it two or three times, maintaining it at 22°C. Afterwards, they are removed from the moulds and salted with dry salt
Salt
In chemistry, salts are ionic compounds that result from the neutralization reaction of an acid and a base. They are composed of cations and anions so that the product is electrically neutral...
or sometimes in a brine
Brine
Brine is water, saturated or nearly saturated with salt .Brine is used to preserve vegetables, fruit, fish, and meat, in a process known as brining . Brine is also commonly used to age Halloumi and Feta cheeses, or for pickling foodstuffs, as a means of preserving them...
bath. It is then laid out in drying rooms, i.e. it is drained while being placed in moulds for 24 to 48 hours. Afterwards it is left to mature in cellars at between 10 and 12°C and within 80% to 90% humidity
Humidity
Humidity is a term for the amount of water vapor in the air, and can refer to any one of several measurements of humidity. Formally, humid air is not "moist air" but a mixture of water vapor and other constituents of air, and humidity is defined in terms of the water content of this mixture,...
. It remains there for at least 10 days, but generally for two or three weeks. Some are even preserved for months for a more vigorous flavor
Flavor
Flavor or flavour is the sensory impression of a food or other substance, and is determined mainly by the chemical senses of taste and smell. The "trigeminal senses", which detect chemical irritants in the mouth and throat as well as temperature and texture, are also very important to the overall...
.
Analysis
Chabichou is very white and smooth, and flexible to the palate, with a fine caprine odor. Chabichou of Poitou is best appreciated with a white wine such as Sauvignon BlancSauvignon blanc
Sauvignon Blanc is a green-skinned grape variety which originates from the Bordeaux region of France. The grape most likely gets its name from the French word sauvage and blanc due to its early origins as an indigenous grape in South West France., a possible descendant of savagnin...
, particularly one from the same region. More mature Chabichou is perhaps better with a red wine, an aperitif
Aperitif
Apéritifs and digestifs are alcoholic drinks that are normally served with meals.-Apéritifs:An apéritif is usually served before a meal to stimulate the appetite. This contrasts with digestifs, which are served after a meal for the purpose of aiding digestion...
or a Pineau des Charentes
Pineau des Charentes
Pineau des Charentes, is a regional French aperitif, made in the départements of Charente, Charente-Maritime and, to a much lesser extent, Dordogne in western France...
.