Banon Feuille (Provence)

This plump goat’s cheese is dipped in eau de vie and sprinkled lightly with pepper before being wrapped in chestnut leaves and tied with raffia string. The flavour becomes more pronounced and stronger with age, and the natural rind more golden with patches of blue.

Monsieur Ripert collects nearly all the 1,500 litres (330 gallons) of milk himself for making Banon cheeses. His farm is not far from the small town of Banon, announced with a sign stating: ‘Fromage de Chèvre’. Banon Feuille was originally made with ewe’s milk, but as the cheese became popular it was clear the milk supply could not cope, so cow’s milk was used for many years and sold to tourists. However, the goat’s milk cheeses are the most sought-after, and since the 1960s, according to M. Ripert, small farms and ‘Chèvriers’ have gradually increased in the area, and the tradition continues.