Pélardon

1. History

The Pélardon originates from Antiquity, mentioned by Pliny the Elder as a cheese prized in Rome for its unique flavor, from the Nîmes, Lozère, and Gévaudan regions.In 1756, Abbé Boissier de Sauvages described it as a small round flat goat's milk cheese from the Cévennes, with a pungent taste derived from pèbre meaning pepper.

Frédéric Mistral defined it late 19th century as a small round, dry, and pungent cheese. Production remained family-based until the 1970s, then revived with professional goat farming. It gained its definitive name Pélardon by the late 19th century.

2. Physical characteristics

Pélardon is a very small raw goat's milk cheese, round and flat, 6-8 cm diameter, 2-3 cm height, weighing 60-80 g.Its paste is soft to uncooked pressed, ivory to off-white.

The rind is thin, natural, downy or slightly bloomy, sometimes crumbly when aged.

3. Taste profile

Pélardon has a dry, peppery, pungent taste with intense goaty notes that intensify with aging. Young, it is mild and creamy; aged (min 15 days, up to 3 months), it develops floral, nutty aromas and slight bitterness.

Its texture is supple and melting, perfect for goat cheese lovers.

4. Production zone and period

Produced in the Cévennes and Languedoc, departments of Gard, Hérault, Lozère, and Aveyron. The AOP area includes high-altitude pastures rich in Mediterranean flora.

Production year-round, optimal spring to fall with pasture-fed goats.

5. Certification

Pélardon has AOP status since 2001 (AOC since 2000). This protects its traditional raw goat's milk production from the Cévennes.

It ensures ancestral know-how and precise geographic origin.