Cantal is a French cheese made from raw cow's milk and pressed into a fourme (high cylinder shape) uncooked cheese, originating from the Massif Central.
It is protected by an Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée in France and by a PDO at European level. 400 litres of milk are needed to make a 40 kg wheel of cheese.
The cheese leaves the cheese factory and enters the cheese cellar. It stays there for a minimum of 30 days to obtain the right to the AOC, but also and above all to have the time to begin to acquire its texture and express its flavours.
The master cheese maturer turns the cheese over regularly during the maturing process, rubbing it and monitoring its ageing in cellars with a temperature of between 6 and 12°C and a minimum of 95% hydrometry.
As the months go by, the firm, ivory to dark yellow paste, which is supple for the youngest cheeses, may become slightly crumbly for the most mature ones.
It is coated with an evolving rind: first grey-white, then golden and finally brown, which may be dotted with ochre or brown spots.
The maturing period varies according to the type of Cantal:
Young Cantal: 30 to 60 days
Cantal entre-deux: 90 to 210 days
Old Cantal: 240 days minimum.
Data sheet
- MILK
- raw milk cow's milk
- TEXTURE
- Firm and gentle
- ALLERGEN
- Milk
- GRASSE MATERIAL
- 30 %
- PROVENANCE
- Auvergne
- SEASON
- Juin à Octobre
- SUGGESTED WINE
- Mondeuse blanche
- INTENSITY
- médium
- APPELLATION
- AOP depuis 1956
Specific References
- EAN13
- 3870172120007
Cantal between two PDOs
Cantal cheese, also known as "Fourme du Cantal", takes its name from the mountainous massif that surrounds the region.
It is a tasty cheese that can be eaten with acacia honey and a good country bread.
Made from raw cow's milk.