Sainte-Maure de Touraine facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sainte-Maure de Touraine |
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| Country of origin | France |
| Region, town | Touraine |
| Source of milk | Goat |
| Pasteurised | Traditionally no |
| Texture | Soft-ripened |
| Aging time | at least 10 days, 10-28 days |
| Certification | French AOC 1990 |
| Named after | Lua error in Module:Wikidata at line 70: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). |
Sainte-Maure de Touraine is a special French cheese. It comes from the Touraine area in France. This cheese is named after a small town called Sainte-Maure-de-Touraine. It's made mainly in a part of France called Indre-et-Loire.
This cheese is made from goat's milk. The milk is "unpasteurized." This means it hasn't been heated to kill germs. Sainte-Maure de Touraine looks like a small log. It is about 16 to 17 centimeters long. Each cheese weighs at least 250 grams.
The cheese is white and soft inside. It has a greyish, moldy outer layer called a rind. This rind is rolled in wood ash. A special straw goes through the middle of the cheese. This straw has a seal from the AOC. It also has a number that tells you who made the cheese. The straw helps keep the cheese log together while it's being made. This finished cheese has 45% milk fat.
What Makes Sainte-Maure de Touraine Special?
Since 1990, Sainte-Maure de Touraine has been protected by the AOC seal. This means it must be made using traditional methods. It's important not to confuse it with a cheese simply called "Sainte-Maure." That cheese is also made in Touraine. However, it does not meet the strict AOC rules.
"Sainte-Maure" is often made in factories. It is not as high-quality as the traditional Sainte-Maure de Touraine. The straw in "Sainte-Maure" cheese does not have the special AOC seal. This helps you tell the difference.
How Much is Made?
In 2003, about 1,065 tons of Sainte-Maure de Touraine were produced. About 58% of this was made in dairies. The other 42% was made on farms. Since it became an AOC cheese in 1990, its production has grown a lot. It increased by almost 300%.
Today, Sainte-Maure de Touraine is the second-largest goat's cheese with an AOC in France. Only Crottin de Chavignol cheese is produced more.
See also
In Spanish: Sainte-Maure de Touraine para niños
