The sandy and clay soils of the Cher valley and its temperate climate give a special quality to the region’s hay. Fed to the region’s goats, the local hay is one of the key factors giving Selles-sur-Cher its specific and subtle flavor.
Selles-sur-Cher is a small cheese, made from whole, raw milk. Its smooth, creamy texture reflects life’s sweetness found in this part of the world between the Loire, Cher and Indre rivers.
Its closely guarded production’s secret has been passed down, orally, from one generation to the next. In a personal record dated from the turn of the 20th century, a woman farmer from Selles stated that for as long as she could remember, she and her mother had been making Selles cheese in earthenware and tin moulds.
Today, Selles-sur-Cher is still made using the traditional methods. Once removed from its mould and in order to improve ageing, the cheese is dusted with a mix of charcoal and salt and then ripened for 10 days to three weeks.
Selles-sur-Cher can be eaten with its rind to sample its full caprine and mushroom aromas. Its magic is captured at its best with one of the locally produced wines such as the Loire and the Touraine.
