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Valençay Jacquin & fils, the delicious secret of the pyramid

Do you know the secret behind the distinctive truncated pyramid shape of this exquisite cheese?

Legend has it that this delicacy from the Berry region of central France originally had a perfect pyramid shape. After a disastrous campaign in Egypt, Napoleon visited the town that gives its name to Valençay cheese, and was treated to this renowned dairy product.
For Bonaparte, the shape of the cheese reminded him of his recent defeat so he furiously drew his sword and in one stroke cut off the top of the pyramid.
We will, of course, never know how true this story is. Whether the current shape of JACQUIN & FILS VALENÇAY is really due to a fit of anger by the famous emperor or, perhaps, simply the desire of local farmers to honour their town by replicating the design of the church bell tower,

What is certain is that the real secret of JACQUIN & FILS VALENÇAY lies in the well-rounded and seductive flavour offered by a goat's cheese as soft and creamy as this.

Among the goat's cheeses from the area shaped like a pyramid, VALENÇAY is the only one that goes through a process of ageingn.

The perfect combination of youth and maturity
That is JACQUIN & FILS VALENÇAY: with the fresh and fruity notes of a young cheese and the flavour of undergrowth, mushrooms and nuts typical of its ageing. With an ivory-coloured heart, smooth and slightly moist texture and grainy and velvety rind thanks to its natural mould.

Its manufacture begins by directly pouring the curd of raw goat's milk into a distinctive truncated pyramid-shaped mould. A couple of days later, the pieces are removed from the moulds, covered in a dusting of charcoal and left to ripen for at least eleven days.

That is the time necessary for the rind to form and become covered with surface mould. The number of weeks spent in the cellar determines its different degrees of ageing: firmer texture and more delicate flavour or more fat and stronger taste.
JACQUIN & FILS, goat's cheese experts
For achieving the most appropriate degree of ageing for their VALENÇAY, JACQUIN & FILS's cheesemakers are true experts. Three passionate generations dedicated to exclusively producing goat's cheese.
Around 500 tons a year of approximately 30 varieties of cheese leave their factory.

Multiple award winning in recognition of their quality, JACQUIN & FILS cheeses remain true to the tradition of the province of Berry, known since the eighth century as a producer of goat's cheese. Among them, JACQUIN & FILS VALENÇAY has become an undoubted classic.
Incredibly tasty and characterised by complex earthy and nutty notes, JACQUIN & FILS VALENÇAY is a protagonist on cheese boards or in salads, and can even be melted.

The JACQUIN & FILS family has been dedicated to making goat's cheese for 60 years, using milk from the traditional breeds of the region: Berrichon, Alpine and Saanen.