Physical Description
Chevrotin is made from filtered but unpasteurized goat’s milk. It has an orange rind with a white mold. The cheese takes the form of a flattened cylinder, with a diameter of 9 – 12 cm and a thickness of 3 – 4½ cm. It generally weighs 250 - 350 g. Chevrotin features a “fine croûte blanche rosée“ coating of soft reddish-brown, not unlike the rind of such better known cheeses as Munster. Chevrotin appears similar to Reblochon which is made in the same regions of Savoy, applying similar processes, but which is produced lower down the valleys using cow’s milk.
Colors: Orangish rind with a white mould.
Tasting Notes
Flavors: floral, nutty
Mouthfeel: Soft, Creamy
Food complements: Bread, Best served on a cheese plate
Wine complements: Full bodied red or white wine
Substitutes: Reblochon
Selecting and Buying
Seasonality: march, april, may, june, july, august, september, opctober, november, december
Peak: march, april, may, june, july, august, september, opctober, november, december
Preparation and Use
The cheese is a fresh one, with only a brief maturation period. Production tends to be a small-scale artisanal process. At a minimum, it needs three weeks to ripen: this takes place on pine timber shelves, and during ripening time each cheese is turned and washed with brine three times per week.
Social/Political
The Chevrotin des Aravis, goat cheese made in the Haute Savoie region, is quite different from goat cheeses produced in the Loire Valley area. In fact the manufacturing process is very similar to the one used for Reblochon cheese and gives it a different texture.
Chevrotin des Aravis has the odour of goat and flowers and its taste is soft, nearly sweet.
The manufacturing process gives it a mellow mild fine textured pate with a yellowish-orange rind stained with white mould.
History: The earliest references to Chevrotin date back to the 18th century, but the cheese had probably already been known in Savoie and Haute Savoie for some time before then. The most relevant documents are farm-out agreements (actes d'amodiations): the lessee (usually a mountain stockbreeder) often paid dues in the form of cheese. Chevrotin is routinely mentioned in this context. Despite a fairly small goat population, Chevrotin was manufactured after the kids were weaned, i.e. in the season of return to the heights.
