Spain is not the only country facing the devastating effects of extreme heat this summer. Half of Europe is experiencing one of the worst droughts in memory and its effects go beyond desolate landscapes, affecting agricultural production and, consequently, other sectors of the food industry. In France, cheese has been one of the last victims of this lack of water and high temperatures.
One of the oldest and best valued French cheeses has been produced in the center of the country for more than two thousand years, beyond the well-known ones such as Brie or Roquefort. Its about cheese salersone of its great dairy icons, with Controlled Designation of Origin (AOC, Appellation d’Origine Contôlée) since 1961 and Qualified Designation of Origin (DOC) since 2009. Its traditional production is also considered intangible heritage French.
This cheese is made exclusively with raw milk from Salers breed cows, whose origin dates back to transhumance activity, today in very limited farms in the department of Cantal, in the center of the country. Cows should be fed at least one 75% natural grassbut the French fields have been yellow and parched for weeks.
In an interview with a local radio station, according to Guardian, farmer Laurent Roux has declared that “There is nothing left to eat. The ground is so dry that in some places it looks like ash. It is dust.” For his part, Laurent Lours, who heads the local group of cheesemakers in Salers, acknowledged that without the right grass, the cheese made from the resulting milk he would lose his identitywith a totally different taste and appearance.
Faced with this perspective, and preferring not to put low-quality cheeses on the market that could damage their historical image, the producers have decided stop production of cheese for the first time in its entire history, at least since records have been kept.
It is a milestone in one of the hallmarks of the country, and yet another consequence of the extreme drought that France and many other European countries are facing, where they are already suffering water cuts and many crops are already suffering the effects of lack of irrigation and high temperatures.
FRENCH CHEESES (WINE AND FOOD TECHNOLOGY)
Pictures | AOP Salers
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