Salers Tradition

Type: Hard
Milk: Raw cows milk
Rennet: Animal
Location: Auvergne, France

Geraud Delorme makes our Salers Tradition on his family farm near Recoules, Auvergne. The family has owned the farm since 1800 when land in the area was made available for purchase after the French Revolution.

They have always farmed Salers cows, but used to sell their milk. However, as it’s perfect for cheesemaking, in 2018, the family began to make Salers, Cantal & Cantalet. The Salers cow only gives milk if her calf is present. During milking at a mobile parlour out in the field, the calf will suckle before its mother is milked and has a quarter of the milk she produces. This is also a natural way of both cleaning the teats & making sure they have plenty of lactic acid bacteria naturally present on their surface. The bacteria will be transferred to the milk which goes directly into a wooden vat called a gerle & acidifies naturally, without a starter. This is only possible because of the presence of the calf & it benefits the cheese too, creating more complex & nuanced flavour.

Salers is made only between May and September when the cows graze their pastures and it is stipulated that they may only receive a quarter of their ration in hay. Geraud’s Salers has the familiar bold, beefy, savoury flavours that are also present in his Cantal, but in addition displays a doughy element with a hint hop-like bitterness & notes of warm, golden spice. It is absolutely delicious and in a class entirely of its own.