Is Chabichou du Poitou the Best Cheese in France?

Editor’s note: Chabichou du Poitou is produced in France, but you can find it at better cheese shops in the US including Murray’s in New York and La Fromagerie in San Francisco, both of which ship nationwide.

Chabichou photo credit Jennifer Greco

In the 16th century Chabichou du Poitou was declared the “Best Cheese in France'' by the accomplished writer, physician and epicurean, François Rabelais. Quite an esteemed title for a goat cheese of rather humble origins.

Cheese was being produced in the southern part of ancient Gaul (part of what is now modern France) by the time the Romans arrived, however, it was the Saracens who brought their goats and goat cheese-making techniques with them when they conquered and settled in the southern half of the country hundreds of years later. After losing the Battle of Poitiers in the mid-8th century to the Christian military leader, Charles Martel, and his army, the Saracens were expelled and fled back to Spain, abandoning their livestock and leaving their cheesemaking traditions for the locals to continue. 

Since 1990 Chabichou du Poitou (pronounced shabby-shoe do pwa-two) has held the distinction as one of the 45 Appellation d’Origine Protégée (AOP - a stringent set of regulations protecting certain food and drink) cheeses of France. Its rhythmical name has its origins in the Arab word for goat, chebli, and the region where it was first produced, the Poitou-Charentes. 

Chabichou photo credit Jennifer Greco

The AOP protection is extremely strict and heavily controlled. For a producer to call their cheese Chabichou du Poitou, there are several regulations: only the unpasteurized milk (a recent change to the classification, as pasteurized milk was allowed until 2019) of the Saanen, Alpine, and Poitevine goat breeds that graze in the local pastures of purple clover, herbs, grains, and alfalfa can be used. Also, the cheese is produced in a small area located in 3 départements (administrative districts) of the Haut Poitou: the eastern part of the Deux-Sèvres, the western half of the Vienne, and a small sliver in the northern part of the Charente. It must be in the shape of a small tapered cylinder that resembles a large wine barrel’s cork, called une bonde. To make this shape, the freshly drained curds are gently scooped by hand into perforated molds that are embossed with the letters CdP (Chabichou du Poitou), which are visible on the cheese after unmolding.

Chabichou has many of the distinctive flavors and aromas of a classic French chèvre and boasts a truly incredible texture. After about ten days of aging, the minimum, the center is fudgy, the white rind is slightly wrinkly, and the flavors are mellow and milky, with a bit of citrusy zing and grassy notes. Age it a couple of weeks longer and a creamline develops just below the thin rind and the flavors become richer with hazelnut and sometimes fresh mushroom notes. An older Chabichou, with an affinage of seven or eight weeks, is heady stuff. The texture is much drier and claggy, the rind might have a mottling of blue penicillium glaucum mold, the flavors deepen into toasted almonds and ripe fruit, and at this age, there’s no doubt it’s a goat cheese! If “goaty” flavors and aromas aren’t your thing, stick with a younger Chabichou du Poitou.

Chabichou photo credit Jennifer Greco

If you’re crazy for chèvre and plan to visit France (once COVID-19 restrictions are lifted of course), the Poitou region has an official Route des Fromages de Chèvres for cheese lovers. Yes, it’s possible to spend your entire vacation eating and learning about goat cheese! The route traverses dozens of villages and towns and offers a long list of farms and producers to visit, as well as local markets to explore. While Chabichou is the most famous chèvre made in the area, there are a wealth of local cheeses and food products to discover. So is it the best cheese in France? You’ll just have to try it and decide for yourself!