The Sainte-Maure-de-Touraine
Sainte-Maure-de-Touraine, this “little bolster” of our cheese heritage…
Crossed in its entire length by a wisp of rye straw, Sainte-Maure-de-Touraine is the easiest cheese to recognize on a platter. If it is often eaten at the end of a meal, accompanied by a little honey, jam or a twist of the pepper mill, it adapts to a number of hot or cold preparations to the delight of our taste buds. .
A golden rule to follow, however, is to remove the straw before cutting it so as not to damage it.
The production of Sainte-Maure-de-Touraine, a woman's affair...
A legend reports that it would have been born from the Arab invasions (Moors) of the Carolingian period which introduced the breeding of the goat in the center of France.
After the defeat of the Saracens in Poitiers, the abandoned Arab women would have taught the local populations to make this goat's milk cheese. A legend that tends to explain the name of “Sainte-Maure-de-Touraine”…
It is the skilful Tourangelle farmers who, over the centuries, have brought improvements to the cheese. The manufacturing secret was passed down from grandmother to granddaughter. Indeed, in the last century, the cheese-making tradition was still considered a household task. Protected by an AOP (Protected Designation of Origin) since 1992, Sainte-Maure-de-Touraine is today the leading goat appellation in France in terms of its volume of production.
No Sainte-Maure-de-Touraine without rye straw!
Rye straw is undoubtedly the most symbolic element of Sainte-Maure-de-Touraine. It is the very identity of the cheese. A veritable guarantee of traceability for the consumer, it makes it possible to check its origin since it includes the name of the appellation, as well as the approval number and the name of the cheese manufacturer. The origin of the presence of this straw has several explanations: It allowed the maintenance of the cheeses during the first days of their manufacture as well as an easier transport.
Today, manufacturing techniques having evolved, rye straw would no longer be useful. Nevertheless it remains obligatory and constitutes the signature of Sainte-Maure-de-Touraine.
