We taste French goat cheese Chabichoux du Poitou.

Poitou (French: Poitou) is a French region that nature has generously endowed with green meadows, so necessary for organizing goat pastures. This area is rich in its gastronomic masterpieces, such as AOC certified butter and many other world famous cheeses. This region is the richest in goat milk production in France, accounting for more than 75% of the total. Therefore, the formation of cheese making in this region is not accidental, because the product tastes better when the milk is fresh.

French goat cheese Chabichoux du Poitou is one of the most famous goat cheeses not only in France, but throughout the world. This is the pride of the De Sèvres department.

The first mentions of this variety date back to the 18th century. And this happened thanks to the defeat of the Arab army in 1732 at Poitiers. It was the Arab army that brought huge herds of domestic goats to French territory, which the Franks took possession of after the defeat.

Thanks to the rich nature of the region, goats produced a lot of milk; there was a surplus, which local residents began to process into cheese. And the name most likely comes from the Arabic word for “goat.”

As stated above, the first mentions date back to 1732. And in 1864, a description of this product appears in the dialect dictionary compiled by Lalana Charles. The first documented description of the technological preparation process dates back to 1872.

In 1990, Chabichoux du Poitou received a protected site certificate, according to which the preparation of this type of goat cheese is carried out in the territory registered in the AOC. And it's not that big. Part of the departments of Vienne and Charente and the department of Deux-Sèvres.

The production volumes of this product are growing with enviable consistency. So in 1997, the volume of Chabichoux du Poitou was 340 tons per year. And in 2003 this figure was already 555 tons.

The process of preparing this product does not have any special features or secrets. Goat milk at a temperature of 20 degrees is fermented using rennet and left to sour in large containers. Next, the whey is decanted, thereby separating the sour curd mass. It is placed in forms. After two days of lying in the molds, the resulting mass must be salted. This is done, then left for 10 days in the dryer for final ripening. Sometimes this process takes 2 or 3 weeks, or even six months. During this time, bacteria and fungi work on it, giving it that unique taste and aroma.

Shabisha is usually made in small sizes, because it is not the cheapest pleasure. The cheese head is given the shape of a truncated cone, the height of which is no more than 6-7 centimeters, and the diameter of the base is 5-6 centimeters. However, due to the production of the product by private farms and industrial enterprises, there is no single shape and size - deviations are allowed at the request of the manufacturer.

Inside the cheese mass is ivory-colored. The surface is smooth, not cellular, quite hard. If it matures for a long time, its cheese mass begins to crumble. The crust becomes covered with mold over time. Also, depending on the ripening period, the taste characteristics also differ. The mature product has a strong taste with the smell of nuts and goat's milk. The proportion of fat in it is 45%. Shabisha can be consumed young, ripe or even dried. This culinary delight is often served with semi-sweet champagne, beloved by the French. It also goes wonderfully as a light snack with white Sauvignon and Sancerre wines.

But this masterpiece of world cuisine also has one not entirely positive feature. It is difficult to serve as it crumbles a little when cut. If you want your cheese plate to look great, use a special cheese knife when slicing it. It is a handle with a stretched string, which cuts the fragile mass well. Nowadays, in stores you can buy the product immediately cut into pucks, but when purchasing such a product, be careful with the expiration date, since cutting reduces the period of its consumption. Shabishu goes well with fruits and berries. Nuts are a great addition to it. It can be added to the filling for French quiche-type pies. This addition gives the filling a piquant flavor. Flower honey perfectly enhances the taste characteristics. It is also very good to complement such an appetizer with sprigs of red currant.