Sainte-Maure de Touraine

When I was writing the draft for my next recipe (Canapés de Preaux), I thought it would be useful to give you a quick introduction to the Sainte-Maure de Touraine. As I was doing so, I realised that I had a lot to say about it! I reached the conclusion that a post dedicated to this produce would be better (but don’t worry, you will have the recipe very soon!).

So, here it is, my story of one of my favourite cheese: The Sainte-Maure de Touraine!  

The Sainte-Maure de Touraine is an AOC unpasteurized goat cheese in the form of a small log of 16-17cm length.

A Straw is used in the making, to keep the roll together and the maturing process is done in 
a cellar for at least 10 days.

The reason why this goat cheese is an AOC is because it’s produced in a well defined part of France. This area used to be known as the Touraine but it now is the department of Indre-et-Loire.    

   

If you find some of this goat cheese in French supermarkets, don’t even bother, you will be highly disappointed, go straight to a cheese seller to be sure you try the real one! But more importantly make sure you see DE TOURAINE after Sainte-Maure. No Touraine= No AOC.

It’s quite important because the AOC is there to protect the local producers but also guaranty you that the goat milk used to make the cheese is coming from local farms from the Touraine.   

I’m sure you know that milk from the north of the country has a different taste to the one in south because of weather conditions, taste of the grass… it’s also the case with the maturing of the cheese in the cellars.

The second important thing about the Sainte-Maure de Touraine is that you will find a rye straw inside the log. Once again, the straw is a local product, handpicked, strictly controlled and, amazingly, marked by the AOC seal and a number indicating the producer.

The Sainte-Maure is creamy on the Inside (but can by matured if you leave it in the fridge unwrapped for a few days, even weeks) with a grey mold on the outside. This is obtained by rolling the log into edible ashes and salt.

You can do lots of stuff with this cheese. You can simply eat it on a baguette with some wine, grilled on toast (topped with a dollop of honey) with a crispy salad, topping for a pizza, in a risotto… you name it! You can also preserve it for longer by slicing it, storing it into a jar and topped up with olive oil and rosemary.

I know that goat cheese is a bit like marmite: You love it or you hate it but I hope that, if you like goat cheese, you will have the chance to try this amazing one as it worth it!!!!



Give a shot to that one: Canapés de Preaux

N.B: Pictures found on the Internet, except the last one.