Artisan cheese of the month, plus Provence speciality soupe au pistou

Artisan cheese of the month: Claquebitou

Claquebitou (called quiaque-bitou in the dialect of Burgundy, where it is made) is an uncooked goat’s milk cheese with 45% fat content.

Like so many artisan French cheeses, it has a poetic name – claque comes from the verb claquer (“to smack”) and is combined with the local adjective bitou, meaning slimy. The cheese was originally used to treat rheum and other eye ailments!

Perfect for summer eating on crusty baguette, Claquebitou has a smooth texture and is flavoured with garlic, parsley and chives.

After a five-week maturation period, it also develops notes of mushroom and hazelnut. Accompany it with a Chassagne-Montrachet Premier Cru.

Local speciality: Soupe au pistou

A summer vegetable soup from Provence with white beans and small pasta pieces, soupe au pistou originated in Genoa, from where many Italian families came in the early 20th Century. It can be eaten hot or cold and gets its name not from ‘pesto’ but from the pestle used to grind up the basil, garlic and olive oil paste added just before serving.