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Fermentation Atlas

Lactic soft-ripened cheeses

Ladled lactic curds with natural, ash or Geotrichum rinds, mostly goat cheeses.

33 entries listed here.

How these cheeses are made

The shared make of lactic soft-ripened cheese family (goat/sheep/cow lactic curd). Each cheese below says what it does differently.

  1. Lactic set with a little rennet18–36 h · 18–22 °C
  2. Ladle into moulds, drain24 h – 2 days · 18–20 °C
  3. Dry-salt and (optionally) ash18 °C · 1–1.5 % salt
  4. Dry then ripen (hâloir / cave)10–56 days · 10–12 °C

Compare them

CheeseRegionMilkRipeningRind
Banon PDOFrance, Haute-Provence around the town of BanonRaw whole goat milk from Provençal Common, Rove and Alpine goatsAt least 15 days from renneting, at least 10 of them under the leaves
CabécouFrance, Massif CentralGoat milk, generally rawAt least 6 days from unmoulding for Rocamadour
Charolais PDOFrance, around CharollesRaw whole goat milk from Alpine and Saanen goats fed on grass and hayAt least 16 days after renneting
Crottin de Chavignol PDOBerry, FranceRaw whole goat milkAt least 10 days from moulding
GarrotxaSpain, CataloniaWhole goat milk, pasteurisedAt least 21 days at 7–14 °C and over 70 % humidity
Pélardon PDOFrance, Cévennes, Montagne Noire, Hautes Corbières and the garrigues of Gard and HéraultRaw whole goat milk; goats graze at least 210 days a year (180 above 800 m)At least 11 days from renneting
Picodon PDOFrance, Drôme and Ardèche, with the cantons of ValréasRaw whole goat milk, not standardised or homogenised; fodder and raw cereals from the areaAt least 12 days from renneting; washed types at least 30 days
Pouligny-Saint-Pierre PDOFrance, Centre-Val de Loire, west of the Indre departmentRaw whole goat milk; at least 75 % of the goats' yearly feed from the area; no silageAt least 10 days from renneting (9 days for the small size); sold from day 11
Rocamadour PDOFrance, Causses du QuercyRaw whole goat milk from Alpine or Saanen goats or their crossesAt least 6 days from unmoulding
Saint-MarcellinFrance, Bas-Dauphinéat least 10 daysThin, sometimes wrinkled; white, beige to grey-blue moulds
Sainte-Maure de Touraine PDOFrance, TouraineRaw whole goat milk from Alpine, Saanen or Poitevine goats; no concentration of the milkAt least 10 days from renneting
Selles-sur-Cher PDOFrance, Centre-Val de LoireRaw whole goat milk from Alpine or Saanen goats; at least 75 % of the feed from the areaAt least 10 days from renneting, at 10 °C or warmer
Tomini caprini della Valbrevenna (Caprino della Val Brevenna)Italy, Liguria, province of Genoa10 days
Valençay PDOFrance, Bas-BerryRaw whole goat milk from Alpine or Saanen goats or their crossesSold from the eleventh day after renneting
BiancospinoItaly, Sardegna15–30 daysBloomy, edible, white felt of Penicillium candidum
Caprino abruzzeseItaly, Abruzzo20–24 hLactic: none, basket marks; rennet: clean, basket marks, slightly greasy
Caprino lattico piemonteseItaly, Piemonteat least 14 daysAbsent when fresh; thin, smooth or wrinkled, often bloomy with noble moulds, rarely orange
Formaggi caprini della MaremmaItaly, Toscanaup to 24 hNone; snow-white surface, coloured by the coating
Formaggi di latte di capra dell'Isola di CapraiaItaly, Toscanaat least 30 daysNone (fresh); clean, wrinkled from moulds (aged)
Formaggio caprino dell'Alto MugelloItaly, Toscanaat least 30 daysNone or treated; white or variegated by the coating
MâconnaisFrance, Bourgogne-Franche-Comtéat least 10 daysThin natural mould rind; blue Penicillium may appear
Rigotte de CondrieuFrance, Pilat massifat least 8 daysThin mould flora, ivory to white to fully blue
Bouton de culotteFrance, southern Burgundy, the Mâconnais and Haut-BeaujolaisGoat milkAt least 14 days; about 2 months for a peppery taste
BouyguetteFrance, Tarn21 daysPale ivory, thin, wrinkled
Chabichou du Poitou PDOPoitougoat milk≥10 d
Fleur du Maquis (Brin d'Amour)Corsicasheep milk~1–3 mo
Humboldt FogCaliforniagoat milk~3 wk+
Innes LogStaffordshiregoat milk~2 wk
Mothais-sur-FeuilleDeux-Sèvresgoat milk~3–4 wk
Murazzano PDOLanghesheep milk, (+C)≥4 d
Robiola di Roccaverano PDOPiedmontgoat milk, (+C/S)fresh to ~1 mo
Saint-Félicien (Dauphiné/Lyonnais)France, Rhône, Ain, Drôme, IsèreCow milk only, by the decree; a farm goat-milk cheese sold as « caillé doux de Saint-Félicien » in Ardèche is a separate product28–42 daysThin surface moulds
St TolaIreland, Co. Clareup to 14 daysThin natural rind; Ash version rolled in food-grade ash when fresh

Bold names have a full page with the animated steps. Blank cells: no sourced value yet.

Short entries

What the sources record about each of these so far.

Bouton de culotteFrance, southern Burgundy, the Mâconnais and Haut-Beaujolais

Bouton de culotte ("trouser button") is a very small goat's milk cheese from the Mâconnais and Haut-Beaujolais, named for its size and button shape. Like other Mâconnais goat cheeses it drains without being turned. It ripens at least two weeks, and longer ageing, about two months, brings out a peppery taste.

Milk
Goat milk
Ripening
At least 14 days; about 2 months for a peppery taste
  1. Make the curd
  2. Mould and drain without turning
  3. Dry and ripenat least 14 days
BouyguetteFrance, Tarn

Cloth-shaped lactic goat cheese with a rosemary sprig; made spring to autumn.

Rind
Pale ivory, thin, wrinkled
Size
About 100 g
  1. Prepare the milk
  2. Mould and salt
  3. Ripen21 days
Chabichou du Poitou PDOPoitou

bonde shape

Milk
goat milk
Ripening
≥10 d

Made like Lactic soft-ripened cheese family (goat/sheep/cow lactic curd).

Fleur du Maquis (Brin d'Amour)Corsica

rolled in rosemary, savory, juniper, chili

Milk
sheep milk
Ripening
~1–3 mo

Made like Lactic soft-ripened cheese family (goat/sheep/cow lactic curd).

Humboldt FogCalifornia

ash line + ash rind; bloomy

Milk
goat milk
Ripening
~3 wk+

Made like Lactic soft-ripened cheese family (goat/sheep/cow lactic curd).

Innes LogStaffordshire
Milk
goat milk
Ripening
~2 wk

Made like Lactic soft-ripened cheese family (goat/sheep/cow lactic curd).

Mothais-sur-FeuilleDeux-Sèvres

ripened on a chestnut leaf

Milk
goat milk
Ripening
~3–4 wk

Made like Lactic soft-ripened cheese family (goat/sheep/cow lactic curd).

Murazzano PDOLanghe

fresh ewe

Milk
sheep milk, (+C)
Ripening
≥4 d

Made like Lactic soft-ripened cheese family (goat/sheep/cow lactic curd).

Robiola di Roccaverano PDOPiedmont

lactic disc

Milk
goat milk, (+C/S)
Ripening
fresh to ~1 mo

Made like Lactic soft-ripened cheese family (goat/sheep/cow lactic curd).

Saint-Félicien (Dauphiné/Lyonnais)France, Rhône, Ain, Drôme, Isère

Also called saint-félicien, Saint-Félicien du Dauphiné.

Saint-Félicien is a soft, lactic cow-milk cheese from the Lyon and Dauphiné area, made like Saint-Marcellin but larger, thicker and creamier. The curd is neither pressed nor kneaded, is lightly salted, and ripens under a thin coat of surface moulds.

Milk
Cow milk only, by the decree; a farm goat-milk cheese sold as « caillé doux de Saint-Félicien » in Ardèche is a separate product
Rind
Thin surface moulds
Size
Cylinder 85–120 mm across, 20–40 mm high, 150–220 g when packed (Wikipédia, unsourced)
  1. Prepare the milk
  2. Set the curd
  3. Mould and drain
  4. Salt lightly
  5. Ripen28–42 days
St TolaIreland, Co. Clare

Irish farmhouse lactic goat log made since the late 1970s/early 1980s; firms and sharpens with age.

Rind
Thin natural rind; Ash version rolled in food-grade ash when fresh
  1. Prepare the milk
  2. Mould and salt
  3. Ripenup to 14 days

Numbers come from cited sources and carry a label that says how each is known. How this atlas is made