Banon

1. History

Banon is a goat cheese with very ancient origins, mentioned as early as the Roman era. Legend has it that Roman Emperor Antonin the Pious (86-161 AD) ate so much of it that he died of indigestion. The cheese officially appears for the first time in 1270 at the fairs and markets of the village of Banon, where it quickly became famous. In the Middle Ages, it was present on the tables of Provençal nobility and remains appreciated by writers such as Jules Verne and Frédéric Mistral.

2. Physical characteristics

Banon is a soft cheese with natural rind of small size, measuring 6 to 7 cm in diameter and weighing approximately 100 grams. It is made from raw and whole goat's milk using the ancestral soft curd technique, which allows rapid milk coagulation. The cheese is wrapped in dried chestnut leaves and tied with a raffia string, giving it a creamy and soft paste with specific aromas.

3. Taste profile

Banon offers a soft and creamy paste thanks to the soft curd technique and the interaction between fermentation and the tannins from the chestnut leaf. The aromas are complex and specific, resulting from the alchemy between Provençal goat's milk and the natural wrapping. This unique combination creates a cheese with delicate and persistent flavors, appreciated for its finesse and distinctive character.

4. Production zone and period

Banon is produced in Haute-Provence, in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department, in a medium mountain area between Mont Ventoux and the Lure mountain, backed by the Albion Plateau. This Mediterranean climate region with characteristic vegetation (scrubland) is ideal for pastoral goat herding. Herds graze for more than 210 days per year across three terroirs: the Alps, Haute-Provence, and Rove. The milk used comes exclusively from Provençal, Rove, and Alpine breeds.

5. Certification

Banon obtained its Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) in 2003, becoming the first cheese from Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur to receive this distinction. In 2007, it received Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status, recognition of its craftsmanship at the European level. Despite its limited production, Banon PDO remains one of France's most prestigious cheese appellations, testifying to the quality and authenticity of its ancestral production.