Picodon

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Picodon is a small goat's milk cheese from the Rhône area of southern France, made mainly in the Ardèche and Drôme. Its name means spicy in Occitan, and it is known for a dry, fine paste that hardens and sharpens with age.

Key Facts

Country of Origin	France
Specific Origin	Ardèche and Drôme regions, including parts of Gard and Vaucluse
Protection	PDO (1996)
Milk Type	Goat's milk
Milk Treatment	Raw, non-standardized, unhomogenized
Fat Content	At least 45 g of fat per 100 g of cheese after total desiccation
Moisture Content	At least 40 g of dry matter per 100 g of cheese
Rind	Fine, lightly covered with uniform or speckled moulds
Texture	Homogeneous, smooth, and fine; can become crumbly if matured longer
Flavor	Frank, capric with notes of nut and mushroom, occasional pungency
Colors	White or yellow paste; rind can be white, ivory, blue, grey, or brown
Forms	Small puck with rounded edges
Age	Marketed starting 12 days after renneting; 30 days for "matured and washed" or "matured using the Dieulefit method"
Rennet Type	Small amount used, lactic coagulation

What is Picodon Cheese?

Picodon comes from the hills around the Rhône in southern France. Most of it is made in the departments of Ardèche and Drôme, though the rules also allow the canton of Barjac in Gard and Valréas in Vaucluse. It was granted AOC status in 1983. The name means spicy in Occitan.

The lower Rhône valley is mostly too dry for wine, but goats do well on the sparse grass and hardy bushes scattered along the hillsides. Only a small quantity of rennet goes into the milk, which is then poured into small moulds dotted with tiny holes. Lactic protein, frozen curd, and concentrated or powdered milk are prohibited. Each cheese is salted twice with fine, dry salt and dried for at least fourteen days, although four weeks is more common.

Cheeses labelled affinage méthode Dieulefit are hand-washed with water, then left to mature in covered earthenware jars for at least a month.

Every one is small, flat and circular, 5 to 8 cm (2.0 to 3.1 in) across and 1.8 to 2.5 cm (0.71 to 0.98 in) high, weighing roughly 40 to 100 grams. Colour ranges from speckled white to golden. The pâte is spicy and unusually dry while staying smooth and fine. Young, the cheese has a soft white rind and a gentle, fresh taste. Aged longer, it can lose half its weight and ends up with a golden rind, a much harder centre and a concentrated flavour.

The varieties differ in size and character. Picodon de l'Ardèche is the most common, with noticeable acidity; Picodon de Crest uses the highest quality milk for a stronger flavour; Picodon du Dauphiné is generally sold well matured; Picodon de Dieulefit is sold young or mature; Picodon de la Drôme is low in acidity, both salty and sweet. Picodon à l'huile d'olive is marinated in bay and olive oil.