St Marcellin

Saint-Marcellin is a soft cows’ milk cheese named after the village of Saint-Marcellin in the Dauphiné region of the Rhône-Alpes. Traditionally made from goats’ milk, it looks like many small farm goats’ cheeses. More recently Saint Marcellin is nearly always made from cows’ milk. The small disc of fresh cheese attracts natural moulds and yeasts similar to those introduced to Camembert-style cheeses; however, they are gentler and are of a more complex variety. You could say that this is a wild Camembert. Because of the small size of the cheese, if the mould on the surface grows well, it can turn the paste semi-liquid in a short time. Sometimes you will get quite a pungent cheese bursting from the rind. Other times it will be more delicate and acidic with a slightly chalky paste.