Sainte-Maure-de-Touraine, the secret of a true PDO cheese

The history of an ancestral cheese

In the 8th century, in the lands of the ancient province of Touraine, a unique cheese-making tradition was born. Legend has it that Arab women, left behind after the defeat of the Saracens at Poitiers, passed on their know-how in herding cattle and producing cheese to the local inhabitants. This thousand-year-old history is perpetuated today through a strict set of specifications: a characteristic log shape, rye straw engraved with the producer’s name, and a minimum maturing period. The greying colour of its surface mould rind, obtained using charcoal, is a reminder of the origin of its name “Maure”. Honoré de Balzac himself already celebrated this gastronomic treasure in his work “La Rabouilleuse” in 1841, testifying to its deep roots in the culinary heritage of the region.

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Where is this PDO cheese made?

From the heart of Indre-et-Loire to the neighbouring cantons of Loir-et-Cher, discover the birthplace of Sainte-Maure-de-Touraine. This PDO zone stretches across the former province of Touraine, also encompassing a number of communes in Vienne and Indre. Visit the farm producers who perpetuate this ancestral know-how on their farms. Just 35 kilometres from Tours, the town of Sainte-Maure-de-Touraine welcomes you to Les Passerelles, a permanent exhibition space dedicated to this raw-milk cheese.

Every year, more than 1,800 tonnes of this exceptional cheese are produced by 125 milk producers and 33 farm producers. A living heritage that is the pride of our region, where each log tells the story of a unique terroir.

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Straw: much more than a tradition

Recognisable by its laser-engraved rye straw, Sainte-Maure-de-Touraine carries its identity card at its heart. This unique signature, 16 centimetres long, reveals the producer’s name and identification number. Grown and harvested within the appellation perimeter, each straw is carefully prepared by the craftsmen of the ESAT de Bridoré.

Six million straws are thus shaped each year, perpetuating a traditional know-how. In addition to its initial role as a support when the cheese is removed from the mould, this straw has become the symbol of the exacting standards and authenticity that distinguish this cheese from its generic counterparts. Don’t forget to remove it carefully before tasting!

Manufacturing secrets

Dive into the secrets of a meticulous know-how. On the farms and cheese dairies of Touraine, the process starts with raw milk renneted at 20 degrees. The milk is curdled for 24 hours before being delicately ladled into truncated cone-shaped moulds. No pre-draining is allowed: the soft cheese must develop its unique texture naturally.

A sprinkling of charcoal mixed with salt will then give it its characteristic grey colour. To make a 250-gram Sainte-Maure de Touraine PDO, you need around 2.2 litres of fresh milk. A perfect alchemy of tradition and precision, where every gesture counts in the birth of an exceptional log.

How do you enjoy it?

Savour your Sainte-Maure-de-Touraine at room temperature, removed from the fridge an hour before tasting. In spring, combine its fresh notes with a few chicory salad leaves and crushed walnuts. In autumn, cut it into thin slices for an aperitif. When young, its creamy texture blends delicately with acacia honey. Aged for three weeks, its more intense flavours call for more rustic accompaniments like dried fruit or fresh figs. For an unprecedented experience, lightly dry it in the oven for a few minutes: its texture then becomes melting, almost runny.

©pique-nique dans les vignes Touraine Nature à Bourgueil|ADT Touraine - Jean-Christophe COUTAND

Our best gourmet recipes

A piece of toast with thinly sliced slices, and when it comes out of the oven, a little honey and a few aromatic herbs. Chives, for example, and then a small salad on the side. Yummy!

And for even more complete recipe ideas? Put on your apron, roll up your sleeves, and off you go:

Mini-tartelettes cherry tomatoes & sainte-maure-de-touraine
Pithiviers pears tapées & sainte-maure-de-touraine
Clafouti, gratin, quiche or courgette lasagne & sainte-maure-de-touraine
Pie au poireau & with sainte-maure-de-touraine
Pizza, buckwheat galette and croque-monsieur topped with goat’s cheese
Cake with goat’s cheese & confit tomatoes
Ravioles with sainte-maure-de-touraine and pesto.

Our best gourmet recipes

To accompany all this, don’t forget to bring back a few good bottles of Touraine too. Vouvray and Montlouis for dry or semi-dry whites, Chinon or Bourgueil for reds and rosés… more than 100 tourist cellars let you dream up great food and wine pairings. Many of them also give you the opportunity to discover the famous troglodyte cellars, where fine vintages in the making grow wisely.

All our tourist cellars

Where can you buy it in Touraine?

Come and meet the artisan cheesemakers in the heart of Touraine’s traditional markets. On Friday mornings, the Sainte-Maure-de-Touraine market reveals its finest cheeses in the region, straight from the hands of local producers.

Les Halles de Tours also welcomes your taste buds from Wednesday to Sunday, with its stalls overflowing with ashen logs at various stages of maturation. For an authentic experience, push open the door to Les Passerelles in Sainte-Maure-de-Touraine, a space dedicated to the secrets of this exceptional cheese.

At the new educational farm Le Vazereau or the Cabri au Lait, your shopping turns into real moments of sharing with the producers. Don’t hesitate to taste the different maturing cheeses to find the one that will seduce your cheese platter.