🧀 Pélardon

Pélardon is a small soft goat's cheese with a Protected Designation of Origin from the Cévennes and Languedoc. It is made from raw whole goat's milk that is not standardised for fat or protein. After 11 days it is a cylinder of over 60 g with a thin rind under pale yellow, white or blue mould. ⁴

Where it comes from. The area covers the Cévennes valleys, the limestone garrigue of the Gard and Hérault, the upper valleys of the Lergue, Orb and Jaur, the south face of the Montagne Noire and the Hautes Corbières. Summers are hot and dry, and the rain falls in spring and autumn. ⁴ In 2011 the municipalities of Altier, Calvisson, Cambon-et-Salvergues and Vissec were added. ³⁴

Goats and vegetation. The goats are free-range: at least 210 days a year on pasture below 800 m and 180 days higher up, with at least 2,000 m² of pasture per goat. ⁴ They graze grass and leaves in oak and chestnut woods, pine forests and scrub, on 59,000 hectares of wooded grazing. The goats keep the garrigue from overgrowing, and goat farming is often combined with chestnuts or soft fruit. ⁴

How it is made. A starter made from whey of the previous batch is added to the milk. Commercial starters are allowed only at the start of lactation or after a break in production. ⁴ The milk sets for at least 18 hours, and the curd is not cut but ladled into the moulds. During drying and ripening the cheeses are turned at least every two days. ⁴⁹ Concentrating the milk, freezing curd or cheese and storing them in a modified atmosphere are banned. ⁴

Look and taste. It is 60–70 mm across and 22–27 mm high, with at least 40 g of dry matter per 100 g and 45 g of fat per 100 g of dry matter. The paste is ivory-white and smooth when cut, and becomes crumbly with long ripening. ⁴ The taste changes with the season and pasture: plant, animal and milky notes, often with hazelnut. With age the rind darkens and the taste grows sharper. ⁶

History and name. The specification considers Péraldou, a cheese mentioned by Pliny, the most likely origin of the name, and links the word to pèbre, pepper, for its sharp taste. ⁴ In 1756 Abbé Boissier de Sauvages described péraldou as a small, round, flat cheese of the Cévennes. Several forms of the name existed, but by the late 19th century everyone said Pélardon. ⁷ For a long time it was eaten mostly at home; it became better known in the 1960s, when goat farming became a profession. ⁷

The road to the PDO. In 1988 producers created a brand, and in 1993 an association to protect Pélardon. The AOC decree was published on 25 August 2000, and the EU registered the name in 2001. ¹²⁸ In 2011 the rules were extended to cover the area, bans on additives and the "farmhouse" label. ³⁴

How much is made. According to CNAOL/INAO key figures, 254 t of Pélardon were sold in 2024, 152 t of it farmhouse. That is the same as in 2023 and 21% more than in 2014. ⁵ In 2020 there were 66 milk producers, 51 farmhouse cheesemakers, 2 dairies and 1 affineur. ⁶

Pélardon or Picodon? Both are small French goat's cheeses, but each has its own PDO and specification. Pélardon comes from the Cévennes and Languedoc, is made only from whole raw goat's milk, and the curd is not cut but ladled into the moulds after at least 18 hours of setting. It is a small cylinder of 60–70 mm, ripened at least 11 days, with a thin rind under pale yellow, white or blue mould. The paste is ivory-white and smooth, crumbly with long ripening, and the taste is sharper with age.

Look for the name “Pélardon”, “Appellation d'Origine Protégée” and the EU PDO symbol (protected designation of origin); the name must appear in letters at least two thirds the size of the largest on the label, and farmhouse cheese says “fromage fermier”. A small cylinder with a thin, mould-dusted rind is normal, and the cheese is always raw-milk. You will find it at a supermarket cheese counter, a cheesemonger or a delicatessen, and in France also at producers' stalls.

Why it matters to you. The label shows the name in letters at least two thirds the size of the largest, "Appellation d'Origine Protégée" and the PDO logo, and farmhouse cheese says "fromage fermier". ⁴ Pélardon is always made from raw milk and ripened for at least 11 days. ⁴⁹ Most of it is made on farms, so each producer's cheese tastes a little different. ⁵⁶