Selles-sur-Cher 
Selles-sur-Cher is a goat milk cheese from Centre-Val de Loire, France, first made in the 19th century in the commune it is named for. It comes as a small charcoal-dusted cylinder of about 150 g, known for its grey-blue mould rind and lightly salty paste.
Myrabella, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Key Facts
| Country of Origin | France |
| Specific Origin | Sologne, north-central France |
| Protection | PDO (1996), PDO (1975) |
| Milk Type | Whole goat’s milk |
| Milk Treatment | Unpasteurized |
| Rind | Ash-coated, light to dark ash |
| Texture | Fine and firm |
| Flavor | Fresh, hazelnut |
| Aroma | Fresh goat, mushroom hints |
| Colors | Light to dark ash |
| Forms | Cylindrical, 4 inches diameter, 1–1.5 inches thick |
| Age | Ten days minimum |
| Rennet Type | Small amount |
| Alternative Spellings | selles-sur-cher |
What is Selles-sur-Cher Cheese?
Selles-sur-Cher is a goat milk cheese from Centre-Val de Loire, France. It takes its name from the commune of Selles-sur-Cher in Loir-et-Cher, where it was first made in the 19th century. The cheese was awarded AOC status in 1975, and those rules limit production to defined parts of the Cher, Indre and Loir-et-Cher departments.
About 1.3 L (0.34 US gal) of unpasteurised milk goes into a single 150 g (5.3 oz) cheese. The milk is soured with a ferment and warmed to around 20 °C (68 °F), then a small amount of rennet is added and left for 24 hours. Unlike most cheeses, the curd is ladled straight into a mould pierced with tiny holes so the whey runs off on its own.
The cheeses then sit in a cool ventilated room at 80% humidity, dry compared with a typical cellar at 90 to 100%, for 10 to 30 days. They lose moisture over that time and grow their mould coat. An initial coating of charcoal gets that mould started.
Each one is a small cylinder, roughly 8 cm across at the base, narrowing to about 7 cm at the top, 2 to 3 cm high and weighing around 150 g. The outside is dry under a grey-blue mould and smells musty. The pâte inside is typical of goat cheese, rigid and heavy at first, then moist as it softens in the mouth. The taste is lightly salty with an aftertaste that persists.
The mould is often eaten along with the paste, and it carries a considerably stronger flavour. Farmhouse production accounts for 36% of output, the rest coming from cooperatives and industrial dairies, with 747 tons made in 2005.
How Does Selles-sur-Cher Cheese Compare?
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