Goat Cheese and Chabichou

Cheese is a tradition in Charente. The region produces two thirds of the French goat cheese, and accounts for one third of the total number of goats in France.

In this still very traditional region you can find round, square or pyramidal cheeses. Be it fresh or creamy it is always awesome. These jewels of the Charente gastronomy are renowned throughout France for their authentic character.

A famous example of traditional cheese in this region is the Chabichou. It was one of the first cheeses ever produced in France. Its quality has been controlled and certified since 1990 and thus this cheese benefits from an AOC (Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée) that is a distinctive label proving its authenticity, outstanding taste and the know-how of the producers.

This white-coloured French cheese is very creamy, soft and pretty dry. Its powerful flavour and taste can be supplemented with a glass of fine wine from the Charente:

• The fresh goat cheese is even nicer if accompanied with Sauvignon or Gamay du Haut Poitou wines.
• Refined goat cheeses are more appreciated whilst sipping a red Saumur wine.
• The dry goat cheese is at its best with white Pineau des Charentes.

Other famous cheeses produced in the Charente (in the Deux-Sevres area) are the Mothais, Bûche du Poitou and Chabi cheeses. Their names originate from the places they are produced in.

If some French regions have wine routes, the Charente has a “Route du Chabichou et des fromages de chèvre”, meaning ‘goat cheese and Chabichou route’, an excellent way to discover the region’s culinary wealth.