🧀 Banon

Banon is a soft French cheese of raw goat's milk from dry Haute-Provence, wrapped in brown chestnut leaves and tied with raffia. The leaves are not decoration: they turn a young cheese into Banon. It tastes animal and goaty, often with notes of undergrowth and a light bitterness. It has been an EU PDO since 2007. ¹³⁴

Why goats, and why here. Around the village of Banon the land is dry, stony and poor, with little water and summer drought. Goats suit it, because they can feed on scrubland and woodland that crops cannot use. In this area the goat was “the poor man's cow”: a family drank its milk fresh and turned the rest into cheese, the only way to keep its food value longer. ⁴

A rennet tradition. Provence set its cheese quickly with rennet, whereas northern France relied on slow lactic curd of about 24 hours. As early as the 15th century, King René was offered small soft rennet cheeses. Old Provençal moulds have wide holes, which supports this, because a lactic curd would run out through them. The rule still stands: Banon sets fast with rennet. ⁴

Why chestnut leaves. Wrapping began as a way to keep cheese, and it also improves it. The leaves shield the cheese from air and help its aroma develop. Vine, plane and walnut leaves might work too, but chestnut won out for its firm structure and its tannins. They are gathered brown in autumn as they fall, stored dry and softened before use. ⁴

How it is made. Goats must graze at least 210 days a year and be Commune Provençale, Rove, Alpine or their crosses. The curd is moulded by hand or with human help, drained for 18–48 hours, dried and salted. The bare cheese ripens 5–10 days until a surface flora has settled, and may be dipped in wine or grape spirit. ⁴

Under the leaves. After wrapping, it ripens at least 10 more days at 8–14 °C and over 80 % humidity, at least 15 days in all. A cheese of 90–110 g develops a thin creamy-yellow or golden rind and a velvety, melting paste. So what you unwrap is the result of the leaves as well as of the milk. ⁴

Banon or another goat's cheese? What marks Banon out is its method. Provence set its cheese quickly with rennet, whereas northern France relied on slow lactic curd of about 24 hours. The bare cheese ripens 5–10 days, may be dipped in wine or grape spirit, and is then wrapped in brown chestnut leaves tied with raffia for at least 10 more days. Chestnut won out for its firm structure and its tannins. The leaves are part of the cheese, and it is made only from raw goat's milk in Haute-Provence.

Look for the name “Banon” with the EU PDO mark (protected designation of origin) on an individual label, and check for six to twelve strands of raffia around brown chestnut leaves. A Banon without leaves is not Banon. The cheese weighs about 90–110 g, and the smell is strong with ammonia notes, which is typical. It is made from raw milk, so check first if you avoid raw-milk cheeses. You will find it at a cheesemonger or a delicatessen.

Why it matters to you. Check for six to twelve raffia strands and the individual label with the PDO mark, because a Banon without leaves is not Banon. Expect a strong smell with ammonia notes, which the specification treats as typical. It is a raw-milk cheese, so check first if you avoid those. ¹⁴