What French goat cheese has a truncated pyramid shape?

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What French goat cheese has a truncated pyramid shape? Valençay is the answer.

Valençay is a soft, unpasteurised goat-milk cheese from Berry in central France, named after the town of Valençay in the Indre department. Its most recognizable feature is its truncated-pyramid form, usually covered with charcoal and a naturally developed blue-grey, bloomy rind.

The cheese is made by draining curd into moulds without pressing it, then dusting the surface with charcoal before ripening it in a humid, ventilated room. Young Valençay has a fresh, citrusy flavour; as it matures, the paste softens and develops the nutty, earthy character associated with aged goat cheese.

A popular story claims that Napoleon cut the tip from a pyramid-shaped cheese after returning from Egypt, creating the truncated form. That tale is considered apocryphal, but it helps explain the cheese's distinctive appearance. Valençay received French AOC protection in 1998 and is often confused with other Berry goat cheeses such as Pouligny-Saint-Pierre and Selles-sur-Cher.

Source: Wikipedia · fact-checked Aug. 2026

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