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Selles-sur-Cher (cheese)
Encyclopedia
Selles-sur-Cher is a French goat
s'-milk cheese
made in the Centre region of France
. Its name is derived from the commune of Selles-sur-Cher
in the Loir-et-Cher
department where it was first made in the 19th century.
The cheese is sold in small cylindrical units, around 8 cm in diameter at the base (reduced to around 7 cm at the top) and 2-3 cm in height, and weighing around 150 g. The central pâte is typical of goats cheese, rigid and heavy at first but moist and softening as it melts in the mouth. Its taste is lightly salty with a persistent aftertaste. The exterior is dry with a grey-blue mould covering its surface and has a musty odour. The mould is often eaten and has a considerably stronger flavour.
is heated to around 20C. A small amount of rennet
is added and left for 24 hours. Unlike most other types of cheese, the curd
is ladled directly into its mould which contains tiny holes for the whey
to run off naturally. The cheese is then left in a cool ventilated room at 80% humidity (dry compared to a typical cellar at 90-100% humidity) for between 10 and 30 days during which time it dries as the mould forms on its exterior. An initial coating of charcoal
encourages the formation of its characteristic mould.
Selles-sur-Cher is made in fermier (36%), coopérative, and industriel production, with 747 tons produced in 2005. Although industriel production is now all year round, it is at its best between spring and autumn. The cheese was awarded AOC
status in 1975. According to its AOC regulations, the cheese must be made within certain regions of the departments of Cher, Indre
and Loir-et-Cher
.
Goat
The domestic goat is a subspecies of goat domesticated from the wild goat of southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the Bovidae family and is closely related to the sheep as both are in the goat-antelope subfamily Caprinae. There are over three hundred distinct breeds of...
s'-milk cheese
Cheese
Cheese is a generic term for a diverse group of milk-based food products. Cheese is produced throughout the world in wide-ranging flavors, textures, and forms....
made in the Centre region of France
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...
. Its name is derived from the commune of Selles-sur-Cher
Selles-sur-Cher
Selles-sur-Cher is a commune in the Loir-et-Cher department of central France.The name of the commune is known internationally for the goat's cheese, Selles-sur-Cher, that was first made in the village in the 19th century.-Demography:-References:...
in the Loir-et-Cher
Loir-et-Cher
Loir-et-Cher is a département in north-central France named after the rivers Loir and Cher.-History:Loir-et-Cher is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790. It was created from parts of the former provinces of Orléanais and...
department where it was first made in the 19th century.
The cheese is sold in small cylindrical units, around 8 cm in diameter at the base (reduced to around 7 cm at the top) and 2-3 cm in height, and weighing around 150 g. The central pâte is typical of goats cheese, rigid and heavy at first but moist and softening as it melts in the mouth. Its taste is lightly salty with a persistent aftertaste. The exterior is dry with a grey-blue mould covering its surface and has a musty odour. The mould is often eaten and has a considerably stronger flavour.
Manufacture
Around 1.3 litres of unpasteurized milk are used to make a single 150g cheese. After the milk is soured using the fermentFermentation (food)
Fermentation in food processing typically is the conversion of carbohydrates to alcohols and carbon dioxide or organic acids using yeasts, bacteria, or a combination thereof, under anaerobic conditions. Fermentation in simple terms is the chemical conversion of sugars into ethanol...
is heated to around 20C. A small amount of rennet
Rennet
Rennet is a complex of enzymes produced in any mammalian stomach to digest the mother's milk, and is often used in the production of cheese. Rennet contains many enzymes, including a proteolytic enzyme that coagulates the milk, causing it to separate into solids and liquid...
is added and left for 24 hours. Unlike most other types of cheese, the 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 ladled directly into its mould which contains tiny holes for the whey
Whey
Whey or Milk Serum is the liquid remaining after milk has been curdled and strained. It is a by-product of the manufacture of cheese or casein and has several commercial uses. Sweet whey is manufactured during the making of rennet types of hard cheese like cheddar or Swiss cheese...
to run off naturally. The cheese is then left in a cool ventilated room at 80% humidity (dry compared to a typical cellar at 90-100% humidity) for between 10 and 30 days during which time it dries as the mould forms on its exterior. An initial coating of charcoal
Charcoal
Charcoal is the dark grey residue consisting of carbon, and any remaining ash, obtained by removing water and other volatile constituents from animal and vegetation substances. Charcoal is usually produced by slow pyrolysis, the heating of wood or other substances in the absence of oxygen...
encourages the formation of its characteristic mould.
Selles-sur-Cher is made in fermier (36%), coopérative, and industriel production, with 747 tons produced in 2005. Although industriel production is now all year round, it is at its best between spring and autumn. The cheese was awarded AOC
Appellation 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 1975. According to its AOC regulations, the cheese must be made within certain regions of the departments of Cher, Indre
Indre
Indre is a department in the center of France named after the river Indre. The inhabitants of the department are called Indriens.-History:Indre is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790...
and Loir-et-Cher
Loir-et-Cher
Loir-et-Cher is a département in north-central France named after the rivers Loir and Cher.-History:Loir-et-Cher is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790. It was created from parts of the former provinces of Orléanais and...
.