Picodon is a goats-milk

cheese Cheese is a dairy product produced in wide ranges of flavors, textures, and forms by coagulation of the milk protein casein. It comprises proteins and fat from milk, usually the milk of cows, buffalo, goats, or sheep. During production, ...

made in the region around the

Rhône The Rhône ( , ; wae, Rotten ; frp, Rôno ; oc, Ròse ) is a major river in France and Switzerland, rising in the Alps and flowing west and south through Lake Geneva and southeastern France before discharging into the Mediterranean Sea. At Ar ...

in southern France. The name means "spicy" in

Occitan Occitan may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the Occitania territory in parts of France, Italy, Monaco and Spain. * Something of, from, or related to the Occitania administrative region of France. * Occitan language Occitan (; o ...

. The cheese itself comes in a number of varieties, each small, flat and circular in shape varying from speckled white to golden in colour. Between in diameter and between in height, they range from around 40 to 100 grams. The pâte of the cheese is spicy and unusually dry, whilst retaining a smooth, fine texture. Whilst young the cheese has a soft white rind and has a gentle, fresh taste. If aged for longer, the cheese can lose half of its weight resulting in a golden rind with a much harder centre and a more concentrated flavour.

Varieties

Picodon is manufactured in a number of varieties, each conforming to the AOC regulations. These include: *Picodon de l'Ardèche - (40-60g) the most common variety, with noticeable acidity. *Picodon de Crest - (60g) made with the highest quality milk giving a stronger flavour. *Picodon du Dauphiné - generally sold well matured. *Picodon de Dieulefit - (40-90g) sold in both young and mature varieties. *Picodon de la Drôme - (45g) low acidity, with both salty and sweet flavours. *Picodon à l'huile d'olive - marinated in bay and

olive oil Olive oil is a liquid fat obtained from olives (the fruit of ''Olea europaea''; family Oleaceae), a traditional tree crop of the Mediterranean Basin, produced by pressing whole olives and extracting the oil. It is commonly used in cooking: f ...

Manufacture

The lower valley of the Rhône is mostly too dry for the production of

wine Wine is an alcoholic drink typically made from fermented grapes. Yeast consumes the sugar in the grapes and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide, releasing heat in the process. Different varieties of grapes and strains of yeasts are m ...

, but ideal for goats to feast on the sparse grass and hardy bushes that are scattered along the hillsides. Picodon is made from milk with only a small quantity of

rennet Rennet () is a complex set of enzymes produced in the stomachs of ruminant mammals. Chymosin, its key component, is a protease enzyme that curdles the casein in milk. In addition to chymosin, rennet contains other enzymes, such as pepsin and a ...

added before being poured into small moulds dotted with tiny holes. Lactic protein, frozen curd, and concentrated or powdered milk are all prohibited by regulation. The cheese is twice salted using fine, dry

salt Salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl), a chemical compound belonging to the larger class of salts; salt in the form of a natural crystalline mineral is known as rock salt or halite. Salt is present in vast quantitie ...

. The cheese is left to dry for at least fourteen days, although four weeks is more common. Cheeses labelled with ''affinage méthode Dieulefit'' (after the commune of

Dieulefit Dieulefit (; ''Dieulofé'', from Old Occitan ''Dieu lo fe'' "God made it") is a commune in the Drôme department in southeastern France. Population See also *Communes of the Drôme department The following is a list of the 363 communes of ...

) indicates that the affinage included hand-washing the surface of the cheese with water, following which the cheese is left to mature in covered earthenware jars for at least a month. Production is ''fermier'', ''artisanal'', and ''industriel'', and the final product is a minimum of 45% fat. Picodon is manufactured throughout the year, although ''fermier'' production only occurs between spring and autumn. In total 584 tons were produced in 2005. Manufacture primarily takes place in the departments of

Ardèche Ardèche (; oc, Ardecha; frp, Ardecha) is a department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of Southeastern France. It is named after the river Ardèche and had a population of 328,278 as of 2019.Drôme Drôme (; Occitan: ''Droma''; Arpitan: ''Drôma'') is the southernmost department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of Southeastern France. Named after the river Drôme, it had a population of 516,762 as of 2019.

, though regulations also permit the canton of Barjac in

Gard Gard () is a department in Southern France, located in the region of Occitanie. It had a population of 748,437 as of 2019;Valréas Valréas (; oc, Vauriàs) is a Communes of France, commune in the Vaucluse Departments of France, department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Regions of France, region in southeastern France. History The area around the town of Valréas is kno ...

Vaucluse Vaucluse (; oc, Vauclusa, label= Provençal or ) is a department in the southeastern French region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur. It had a population of 561,469 as of 2019.AOC Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (; ; born October 13, 1989), also known by her initials AOC, is an American politician and activist. She has served as the U.S. representative for New York's 14th congressional district since 2019, as a member of ...

status was granted in 1983.

References

{{French cheeses French cheeses Occitan cheeses French products with protected designation of origin Goat's-milk cheeses Massif Central