Editing Chaource cheese

{{Short description|French soft-ripened cheese}}
{{refimprove|date=September 2012}}
{{Infobox cheese
| name = Chaource
| image= [[Image:Chaource (fromage) 01.jpg|225px]]
| othernames =
| country = [[France]]
| regiontown = [[Aube]], [[Yonne]]
| region =
| town =
| source = [[Cow]]s
| pasteurised = Depends on variety
| texture = Soft-ripened
| fat = ~50%
| protein =
| dimensions =
| weight =
| aging = 2–4 weeks
| certification = French [[Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée|AOC]] 1977
}}
'''Chaource''' ({{IPA|fr|ʃa.uʁs|-|LL-Q150 (fra)-Lyokoï-chaource.wav}}) is a [[List of French cheeses|French cheese]], originally manufactured in the village of [[Chaource]] in the [[Champagne-Ardenne]] region.

Chaource is a cow's [[milk]] cheese, cylindrical in shape at around {{cvt|10|cm}} in diameter and {{cvt|6|cm}} in height, weighing either {{cvt|250|g}} or {{cvt|450|g}}. The central pâte is soft, creamy in colour, and slightly crumbly, and is surrounded by a white ''[[Penicillium candidum]]'' rind.

==History==

The cheese has been made in its namesake village since at least the [[Middle Ages]]. Cheese is still manufactured there, ranging from small cheese makers to industrial-scale production further away. It is only made in a tightly controlled area in the départements of [[Aube]] and [[Yonne]].

==Manufacture==

It was recognised as an [[Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée]] (AOC) cheese in 1970 and has been fully regulated since 1977.

The AOC regulations state that:

* Coagulation must be principally lactic and last for at least 12 hours.
* Drainage of the cheese must be slow and spontaneous.

Made using a similar recipe to that of [[Brie]], [[affinage]] is usually between two and four weeks and the cheese is generally eaten young. The gently-salted central pâte has a light taste and a characteristic 'melt-in-the-mouth' texture. The fat content is a minimum of 50%.

Regulations currently allow both [[pasteurization|pasteurised]] or unpasteurised milk to be used during manufacture.

==Style==
In her 2010 book ''Cheese: Exploring Taste and Tradition'', Patricia Michelson says: "Chaource has a bitter nutshell-like flavor, with an earthiness reminiscent of the style of the wine here, and you would think it would be a perfect match for the cheese. You should be careful to find the perfect flavor partner, however, because the cheese is also on the salty side."<ref>{{cite book |first=Patricia |last= Michelson |title=Cheese: Exploring Taste and Tradition |publisher=Gibbs M. Smith Inc |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oD1Z9v4mwdYC&pg=PT33 |year=2010 |isbn=978-1423606512 |page=59}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[List of cheeses]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{French cheeses}}

[[Category:French cheeses]]
[[Category:Aube]]
[[Category:French products with protected designation of origin]]
[[Category:Cow's-milk cheeses]]


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