Valençay Ash

This distinctive cheese was originally pyramid shaped. It is said that on the return journey to Paris, following his miserable campaign in Egypt, Napoleon stayed at the chateau of Valençay. The presentation of a pyramidical cheese at the end of the meal was too much for the Emperor to bear, he flew into a rage and decapitated the offending cheese with his sword. From that moment on, in deference to Napoleon, and presumably out an instinct for self-preservation, the people of Berry made Valençay in its now familiar truncated, pyramid-shape. Valençay’s AOC (June 1998) is one of the most recently awarded by the Institute National des Appellations Origines. The AOC delimits production to the department of Indre and certain areas of Cher, Loire et Cher and L'Indre et Loire. It also lays down strict rules concerning the shape and size of the cheese, the milk used and the period of affinage. Valençay production is very much based on tradition. Made with raw goat’s milk, coagulation takes place over a period of 24 - 36 hours. The curds are then hand ladled into moulds where they are left to drain. The fresh cheeses are then rubbed with a mixture of charcoal ash and salt before being left to ripen in 80% humidity for a period of at least 11 days. The charcoal ash prevents the development of unwanted moulds on the surface of the cheese whilst the ‘fleur’, or desirable mould, forms.