Top 5 Provençal Goat Cheeses

Laiterie Rians focuses on traditional methods and sustainable agriculture practices, emphasizing organic production. Rians offers a range of cheeses, including well-known varieties such as Camembert and Brie, as well as unique offerings that highlight regional flavors. Their products are often characterized by creamy textures and rich flavors, appealing to both local and international markets.Expand

Banon is a soft cheese made in a traditional way from raw, full-fat goat's milk in the French region of Les Alpes de Haute Provence. On the exterior, the cheese is visually striking, with a wrapping of chestnut leaves held together with natural raffia, imparting it with notes of barnyard. Banon must mature for at least 2 weeks and as it ages, blue and gray mold forms under the wrapping, giving the cheese strong woody aromas. Its flavor is nutty, soft, and creamy with hints of wine and fresh vegetables. Traditionally, local farmers eat Banon by scooping it up with a spoon. Pair the cheese with freshly sliced fruit, crusty bread, and dry white wines.Expand

Brousse de Rove is a French cheese originating from the region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur. The cheese is made with raw goat's milk. It is named after a village where the cheese was first produced. Brousse de Rove is sold in plastic containers and has a conical shape. Its texture is grainy, tender, and creamy, while its flavors are mild, milky, salty, and slightly sweet. It is recommended to serve this cheese for dessert or use it in savory dishes such as omelets. When consumed as a dessert, Brousse de Rove is typically served with figs, honey, and sugar.Expand

Poivre d'âne is a soft cheese made from cow’s or goat’s milk and covered with a coat of dried herbs, originating in the region around Mont Ventoux and the Comtat Venaissin in Provence. It emerged in the Provençal highlands as small-scale cheesemakers wrapped fresh curd in herb coatings such as sarriette vivace (also called “pèbre d’âï”, literally “donkey pepper”), and over time the cheese gained a reputation for its mild interior, herbaceous rind and connection to pastoral farms in that area. To produce it the milk is warmed and curdled, the curds are drained gently, molded into small discs of roughly 7–8 cm (3 inches) diameter and about 3 cm (1 inch) high weighing around 100–120 g (4 ounces), then the young cheeses are hand-rolled or coated in a mixture of dried local herbs including sarriette, left to mature for several days under controlled humidity so that the rind develops a characteristic blue-to-white bloom while the interior remains soft and silky, after which the cheese is ready for sale. Variations include use of solely goat’s milk or a blend of goat’s and cow’s milk, slight differences in the herb mix used for the coating (some producers include wild thyme or mountain savory alongside sarriette), and differences in maturation length which affect whether the interior remains very soft or takes on a creamier, slightly firmer texture; what sets this cheese apart is specifically the herb coating named for "pèbre d’âï", which imparts an aromatic taste of mountain herbs and distinguishes it from other herb-coated soft cheeses. Poivre d'âne is eaten as part of a cheese board in homes and fromageries in Provence, often served with rustic bread, olives and a glass of crisp rosé or light red from the region, and it pairs particularly well with alpine herb-infused wines or a chilled white to balance the soft creamy texture and herb-driven rind.Expand

Tomme à l'Ancienne is a French cheese hailing from the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. The cheese is made from raw goat's milk and it's then left to age from 2 weeks to 2 months. The milk is hand-ladled into round molds. Due to the fact that the cheese is marinated in eau de vie brandy, bay leaves, cloves, thyme, and pepper, the flavors are unsurprisingly complex. Underneath the rind, the texture is soft, delicate, and runny. It's recommended to serve the cheese with nuts and figs, and pair it with a glass of eau de vie.Expand

Lou Pevre is a French cheese made on a farm in the region of Provence. The cheese is made with raw goat's milk (there is also a version made with cow's milk, which is rarer than the goat's milk version) and matures for 3 weeks. Its rind is dry and rough, while the body is soft, delicate, and fine-textured. This mild cheese comes coated with peppercorns, cumin, or herbes de Provence, depending on the variety. It is recommended to spread Lou Pevre on a slice of country bread and serve it as an appetizer.Expand