Salers

Appearance & taste

Salers is a cylinder with a slightly convex top and bottom and, after at least three months of ripening, weighs 30 to 50 kg. The rind is dry and “bumpy”, golden yellow to ochre, and may be marbled red, orange and yellow by natural moulds. The firm paste is ivory to straw-yellow and has a mesh-like structure typical of curd that has been broken up and pressed again. The cheese contains at least 44 % fat in the dry matter and at least 58 % dry matter.

According to the specification, Salers is rich in aromas: milky notes (butter, soured cream), vegetal notes (alliums, herbs, hay) and fruity notes (citrus, walnut, hazelnut) predominate. It keeps for a long time.

A mark is embossed into every wheel, and the name “Salers” twice on one side; “Ferme de …” (farm …) may be added. Cheeses from herds consisting only of cows of the Salers breed also bear the embossing “tradition salers” and images of Salers cows’ heads. Prepacked pieces must have some of the typical rind.

Production

The basic feed of the cows comes from the area and consists exclusively of pasture grasses and herbs; supplementary feed is limited to 25 % of the dry matter. Salers is made on the farm from the freshly milked raw milk of a single herd, and only from 15 April to 15 November, when the cows are on pasture.

The milk is curdled with rennet in a wooden vat, the “gerle”; according to the specification, the bacteria in the wood naturally inoculate it with the flora of the particular farm. The curd is broken up and pressed several times in the cheese press to remove as much whey as possible. The paste then rests for several hours to acidify and mature, is milled and salted, rests again and is pressed into the mould by hand. For about two days the wheel is pressed step by step and turned regularly. It ripens for at least three months in cool, damp cellars, where it is regularly turned and rubbed. Milk production, cheesemaking and ripening take place in the area.

Origin & history

The area essentially corresponds to the mountain massif of the Monts du Cantal, with the Plomb du Cantal (1,855 m) as its highest peak. The mountain climate is damp and cool, with over 1,000 mm of rain a year. On the predominantly volcanic soils, rich in phosphorus, potash and magnesium, lush pastures with many grasses and aromatic wild herbs such as spignel, lady’s mantle and lady’s bedstraw grow from spring to autumn.

According to the specification, the cheeses of the region already had a good reputation in Roman times. Salers was made mainly during the summer grazing season in herdsmen’s huts, stone buildings that served as living quarters, workroom and cellar at the same time. In autumn the cheeses were sold to merchants in the valley, who left them to ripen further in their cellars and passed them on to wholesalers; this was a way of preserving milk for a long time. Salers was recognised as a designation of origin by a decree of 21 December 1961.