Saint-Héray
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Saint-Héray — a goat's milk cheese from Poitou-Charentes in western France, made in the format of a small Camembert: a flat, round wheel with a white bloomy rind, soft paste, and a weight of around 180g. Poitou-Charentes is one of the great goat cheese regions of France — the chalky limestone soils and mild Atlantic-influenced climate produce excellent grazing for goats, and the area has a tradition of goat's milk cheesemaking that extends back centuries. Saint-Héray sits within this tradition.
The rind is thin, white and velvety — the same Penicillium candidum bloom that covers a cow's milk Camembert. Beneath it, the paste ripens in the same way: softening from the rind inward, starting firm and chalky at the centre when young and becoming progressively creamier as it matures. The flavour is clean, fresh and gently tangy when young, with a bright lactic acidity and a mild goat's milk character that is present but not aggressive. As it ripens, the paste becomes more unctuous and the flavour develops — earthier, mushroomy from the rind, with a deeper goat's milk savouriness and a slight nuttiness. If you enjoy brie or Camembert but want something lighter and with more personality, or if you like goat's cheese but want a softer, creamier format than a typical chèvre log, this sits in the middle.
Origin: Poitou-Charentes, France
Ingredients: Goat's milk, salt, rennet, starter cultures.
Storage: Refrigerate. Use within a few days of receipt. Bring to room temperature before eating — at least 30 minutes.
Net: 180g
Allergens: Milk (goat's).
