A visit to the caves of Roquefort
Annie - reception 2015
Last week with my family I visited the home of France's famous Roquefort cheese: Roquefort sur Soulzon, about an hour's drive from the campsite. The cheese must be made within an area only 2km long and 300m wide to be officially called Roquefort. There are numerous manufacturers of Roquefort in the village and we vistited the largest, Société.
Guided visits in English take place three times a day: at 11.00, 12.15 and 14.30. Visits in French are throughout the day. It isn't necessary to book in advance. The visit (definitely worth the €5 entry fee) lasts about an hour.
Roquefort is made in the naturally formed caves beneath the village. The visit begins with an animated model which demonstrates the movement of the earth that led to the forming of the caves, followed by a tour of the caves themselves. The atmosphere is cool and humid thanks to the "fleurines", or natural tunnels and holes in the cave walls that bring a constant supply of fresh air. Tens of thousands of cheese are left in the cellars to ripen until the 'maître-affineur' (master ripener) decides that they're ready.
We watched a film showing the entire production process, from sheep to supermarket, and a sound and light show recounting the legend of Roquefort, involving a shepherd and a beautiful lady.
We also learn about the cultivation of Penicillium Roqueforti, the history of the cheese and of Société in the museum and exhibition room, and the best way to eat Roquefort (take it out of the fridge an hour before serving).
Make sure to bring warm clothes with you - even if it's a sunny day outside, the temperature in the caves is about 10°C so you'll need a jacket!
At the end, you enter the tasting room, where you have the chance to taste the three different varieties produced by Société: 1863, Templier, and Baragnaudes. I picked up a booklet of recipes and I'm looking forward to trying them out!
After the visit we made our way to the restaurant for drinks and another opportunity to try out the three different versions of the cheese. I think my favourite was the 'Templier', apparently the strongest tasting! Sat on the terrace we had a beautiful view of the mountains.
I would defiinitely recommend visiting. It's extremely interesting to discover how this famous cheese is made and the exhibition is very well put together. It's also only 25 minutes' drive from the Vélorail in Sainte-Eulalie-de-Cernon and therefore an ideal follow-up activity!
Last week with my family I visited the home of France's famous Roquefort cheese: Roquefort sur Soulzon, about an hour's drive from the campsite. The cheese must be made within an area only 2km long and 300m wide to be officially called Roquefort. There are numerous manufacturers of Roquefort in the village and we vistited the largest, Société.
Guided visits in English take place three times a day: at 11.00, 12.15 and 14.30. Visits in French are throughout the day. It isn't necessary to book in advance. The visit (definitely worth the €5 entry fee) lasts about an hour.
Roquefort is made in the naturally formed caves beneath the village. The visit begins with an animated model which demonstrates the movement of the earth that led to the forming of the caves, followed by a tour of the caves themselves. The atmosphere is cool and humid thanks to the "fleurines", or natural tunnels and holes in the cave walls that bring a constant supply of fresh air. Tens of thousands of cheese are left in the cellars to ripen until the 'maître-affineur' (master ripener) decides that they're ready.
We watched a film showing the entire production process, from sheep to supermarket, and a sound and light show recounting the legend of Roquefort, involving a shepherd and a beautiful lady.
We also learn about the cultivation of Penicillium Roqueforti, the history of the cheese and of Société in the museum and exhibition room, and the best way to eat Roquefort (take it out of the fridge an hour before serving).
Make sure to bring warm clothes with you - even if it's a sunny day outside, the temperature in the caves is about 10°C so you'll need a jacket!
At the end, you enter the tasting room, where you have the chance to taste the three different varieties produced by Société: 1863, Templier, and Baragnaudes. I picked up a booklet of recipes and I'm looking forward to trying them out!
After the visit we made our way to the restaurant for drinks and another opportunity to try out the three different versions of the cheese. I think my favourite was the 'Templier', apparently the strongest tasting! Sat on the terrace we had a beautiful view of the mountains.
I would defiinitely recommend visiting. It's extremely interesting to discover how this famous cheese is made and the exhibition is very well put together. It's also only 25 minutes' drive from the Vélorail in Sainte-Eulalie-de-Cernon and therefore an ideal follow-up activity!
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