Saint Albray

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Saint Albray is a French soft cheese from Aquitaine, made with pasteurized cow's milk and invented in 1976. It is shaped like the head of a flower, with petals around a hollow center.

Key Facts

Country of Origin France
Specific Origin Aquitaine
Milk Type Cow's milk
Milk Treatment Pasteurized
Rind Washed
Texture Semi-soft
Flavor Mild, sweet
Aroma Buttery, mild
Forms Flower-head shaped round; 'petit' version at 200 g (500 g in England, 180 g in Germany)
Age 2 weeks
Alternative Spellings St. Albray, Saint-Albray, St Albray

What is Saint Albray Cheese?

Saint Albray comes from the Aquitaine region of France. It was invented in 1976, so it is a modern cheese rather than an old farmhouse type.

It is made with pasteurized cow's milk and ripened for two weeks. The result is a soft cheese.

The shape is the giveaway. Each cheese is formed to look like the head of a flower, with petals built around a central disk. Once that disk is removed, the middle is hollow, which reads as the center of the flower.

A smaller petit version is also sold. It weighs 200 g, or 500 g in England and 180 g in Germany, and has a solid center instead of a hollow one.