Crottin de Chavignol
This small, flattened, crumbly textured ball of cheese has a rich smooth taste. The cheese has a white rind which darkens with maturity through blue-grey to black. The paste is very white and firm, creamy to start with and hardening as matures. The flavour is lightly flinty with nuts, turning spicier as it ages. Serve as part of a cheese course or on its own with crusty wholemeal bread.
The word “crottin” refers to the dark colour of the mature cheese and this is the way the locals traditionally ate it.