Cantal, approx. 200g

Cantal AOP is one of the oldest French cheeses and dates back to the time of the Gauls. Pliny the Elder already mentioned the cheese almost 2,000 years ago. The home of Cantal - the Auvergne - is characterized by its extinct volcanoes and high plateaus. In this mountainous region, the Aubrac or Salers cows produce relatively little milk, but it is very rich in fat. The recipe for this cheese was probably born out of the hardship of alpine dairymen. The aim was to produce a product that would keep for several months, until the cattle were driven down from the mountain pastures in late summer. To do this, the alpine dairymen would curdle the milk, cut the curds, shape and press them. On the following days, they cut the formed cheese again and again, added the fresh curd of the day and pressed it again. This was repeated until the final Cantal size was reached. In 1956, Cantal was awarded the protected designation of origin.