World Cheese Encyclopedia - Each week learn all about a new cheese. 

This week Catal or Cathare from France. 

Country: France

Region: Provence and Languedoc

Made from: Goats Milk

Pasteurised: No

Texture: Ash-covered top, gooey inside

Taste: Light & Sweet

Certification: No

Ageing: Two week minimum

Introduction

The Catal Cheese (also called Cathare or Croix Catal) can be spotted quickly in a cheese store by its two most distinct elements; the tiny amount of ash coats the top of the cheese, and the design “Cathar Cross” or “Occitan Cross” in the ash. Catal is a light, scrumptious goat cheese. Catal is deliciously gooey, when spread on a baguette, every bite will melt in your mouth. The taste of Catal is best explained as having a lighter weight with a very thin rind and a silky, buttery texture. Catal has an incredible amount of flavor while still falling into the category of a “fresh” (two week old) cheese. 

History

Catal is an old, classic goat cheese hailing from Southern France. The region it is from, as well as the cheese are religiously significant because the Cather region was the bedrock of an early European religion called “Catharism.” The people in this region had been taken over by the Moors previously, and this is how they had managed to make goat cheese, from the Moorish method. They then combined these methods with an element of their faith (the cross decal)  to concoct Catal cheese.

How to Enjoy

Catal is a perfect cheese if you are slightly sensitive to dairy, because it is made out of goats milk. The best way to enjoy Catal is on a fresh baguette with your choice of jam. Another way to enjoy Catal is to arrange it on a cheese or charcuterie board; the design on top will fit in beautifully with any arrangement.

Sources: Produits Laitiers, Une Normande a Londres, Quesarium, Cheese Catalogue Catal, 52 Cheeses, A Year in Fromage, Birds Eye View Cathare

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