Saint-Félicien

This cheese is related to Saint-Marcellin in its manufacturing and maturation techniques, but it is larger, richer and creamier. Saint-Félicien is a cheese from Saint-Félicien in Ardèche. It was traditionally made with raw goat’s milk. Today, it is made with raw or pasteurized cow’s milk and can be manufactured all over France. It is mainly produced in the Rhône and Isère.
It is also said that the cow’s milk recipe was invented at the beginning of the 20th century by a Lyon dairyman who had the idea of mixing cream with his unsold gallons of milk. If this is true, the name of the cheese was inspired by the Saint Félicien square where he had his dairy shop. Later on, in 1980, the « l’Etoile du Vercors » cheesemaker in Isère, a manufacturer of Saint-Marcellin, developed the cheese’s renown.
This is one of the cheeses that is defined by French legislation through the decree nº 2007-628 of April 27, 2007, which prohibits the addition of spices, seasonings and artificial colors.

Cheese with a naturally ivory-colored rind that is slightly wrinkled and soft. Its paste is lactic tasting.

Saint Félicien is creamy and slightly salty with light hazelnut notes. Depending on its level of maturity, which is of a minimum of ten days, its taste can go from mild, fresh and lactic to typical and persistent, and its paste can become runny. If this is the case, it is best to serve it in a small dish to keep it from spreading across the cheese plate.