Valençay is a distinctive pasteurised goat’s milk cheese from France’s Loire Valley, a region renowned for its rich agricultural heritage and ideal cheesemaking conditions.
Traditionally handcrafted, the curds are gently ladled into a distinctive truncated pyramid mould before being coated in salted vegetable ash. The ash encourages the development of a delicate white bloomy rind as the cheese matures in cool, humid conditions, resulting in a creamy texture and fresh, tangy flavour with subtle citrus and nutty notes.
Awarded AOP status, Valençay is celebrated for both its quality and regional authenticity. Its unique shape is the subject of local legend: one story claims Napoleon sliced off the top after returning from his failed Egyptian campaign, while local cheesemakers maintain the design was inspired by the pointed church steeples of the surrounding villages.