Crottin de Chavignol encapsulates the Loire Valley’s reputation
Crottin de Chavignol encapsulates the Loire Valley’s reputation as a hot bed of goats cheese and wine production. Vineyards in the region raised goats and made cheese as far back as the 16th century and Crottin is believed to derive from the word crot – a small oil lamp that would be used to light wine cellars. Crottin also means ‘dung’, which could be a reference to the cheese’s rustic appearance. Chavignol is a town in the region.
Production follows the soft cheese process, however it is a lactic cheese coagulated over several hours predominantly by the acidification of the milk, plus a small quantity of rennet. The curds are pre-drained before moulding. They are turned at least once during draining and are dry-salted after unmoulding. The maturation temperature must be above 10°C.
Eating Crottin de Chavignol PDO
The bloomy white Crottin de Chavignol pairs beautifully with a dollop of festive clementine marmalade served with crunchy crispbreads.
GUIDE TO TASTING CHEESE
Learn about the four stages of tasting cheese and how to take tasting notes with this definitive guide to tasting cheese.
This Cheese is part of the Master of Cheese Level One associate certificate
