Description
Saint-Félicien Cheese
About Saint-Félicien
Saint-Félicien is one of those French soft cheeses that feels like a real treat. It comes from the Rhône-Alpes and, if you’ve tried Saint-Marcellin PGI, imagine something a little bigger, richer and even more indulgent.
It has a delicate natural rind and an incredibly soft interior that, when perfectly ripe, can become almost spoonable. It looks quite unassuming, but underneath that little rind is a wonderfully buttery cheese with plenty of character.
The Backstory
Saint-Félicien is closely related to the soft lactic cheeses that have been made around the Rhône-Alpes for generations. It doesn’t have the ancient protected history of some French cheeses, and unlike Saint-Marcellin, it doesn’t have AOP or PGI status.
The cheese as we know it today developed during the 20th century and is often described as Saint-Marcellin’s bigger, richer cousin. The two certainly have plenty in common: both are small, soft cheeses, both ripen relatively quickly and both can become wonderfully gooey as they mature.
Historically, small lactic cheeses in this part of France were often made with goat’s milk or mixtures of milk, but modern Saint-Félicien is generally made with cow’s milk.
Without PDO or PGI rules dictating one precise recipe, there can be differences between producers. And I rather like that — Saint-Félicien is a style of cheese rather than something that has to tick exactly the same boxes every time.
The Make
Saint-Félicien is made using a predominantly lactic method, so the milk is allowed to coagulate slowly, producing a particularly delicate curd.
Rather than being heavily worked or pressed, the curd is carefully placed into small moulds and allowed to drain. After salting, the cheeses are left to mature and gradually soften.
As the cheese ripens, the texture changes dramatically. A younger Saint-Félicien can still have a slightly firmer centre, while a properly ripe one becomes beautifully soft and creamy — sometimes to the point where a spoon is considerably more useful than a knife.
Saint-Félicien – Jen’s Tasting Notes
For me, Saint-Félicien is really about the texture.
When it’s perfectly ripe, it’s gloriously soft, silky and almost spoonable. The flavour starts with fresh cream and sweet milk, followed by a gentle lactic tang and subtle mushroomy, nutty and earthy notes.
It’s rich, but there’s enough freshness to stop it feeling heavy.
Like Saint-Marcellin, it changes enormously as it matures, so don’t be surprised if the cheese you buy one week seems quite different from one you bought previously. A younger cheese will be firmer and fresher; give it more time and those flavours deepen as the centre becomes softer and more indulgent.
And if you open one to discover it’s practically liquid?
Personally, I wouldn’t consider that a disaster.
How to Serve and Pair Saint-Félicien
- Make sure you take it out of the fridge a good hour before you want to eat it. This is definitely not a cheese to eat fridge-cold.
- Classic pairings: I’d stay fairly local and go for a Rhône white. Something like Viognier has enough fruit and freshness to work beautifully with the richness of the cheese.
- Something a little different: A dry cider works really well too. The acidity cuts through all that creaminess and keeps everything feeling fresh.
- On the plate: Keep it simple. A fresh baguette, perhaps some ripe figs or pear and a few toasted walnuts are really all it needs.
- In the kitchen: You can warm Saint-Félicien gently until it’s molten and scoop it up with bread or roasted potatoes. Although, if I’ve got one perfectly ripe, I’d rather just eat it as it is.
Jen’s note: Saint-Félicien is one of those cheeses where timing is everything. Eat it young and it can be quite firm and fresh; leave it to ripen and it becomes gloriously soft and almost spoonable. If I open one and discover it’s practically liquid in the middle, I consider that a very good day.
Buying Saint-Félicien
- Brand or Producer: Etoile du Vercors
- Product name: Saint-Félicien
- Milk: Cow
- Country: France
- Region: Grenoble, Rhone-Alpes
- Strength: Mild
- Vegetarian: No
- Suitable for pregnancy: No
- Allergens: MILK
Sizes and Prices
- Whole little cheese, £10.50
Storage Advice
- Keep refrigerated
- Wrap in waxed paper or cling film
- Remove from the fridge before serving
- Consume within 10 to 14 days of opening
Delivery and Collection
- UK wide courier delivery
- Click and collect from our Pangbourne shop
- Free local delivery available for selected postcodes
Ingredients (Allergens are listed in capitals)
MILK, starter cultures, rennet, crème fraîche, salt
