@ PerailPérail is a soft cheese with a bloomy or natural rind made from the milk of Lacaune ewes. It can be recognized by its round, flat shape and its color reminiscent of a shade of white.
To the touch, its rind is of a fragile softness that obliges those who serve it to exercise delicacy. Do you still think the people of the Causse are “boors”? Behind its “crust” lies an infinite gentleness!
The smell is familiar, reminiscent of the scent that emanates from the jasses sheltering the ewes bleating in staggered rows: a real concerto! It’s this scent that awakens an imaginary sense of hearing.
Move on to tasting. A firm but melting surface. A smooth cream that expands in the mouth and releases all its flavors… a pure moment of gourmet pleasure and 100% local!
The name comes from the stone sink (Peralh in Occitan) on which the cheeses were drained
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Peraildvenom12Until the middle of the 19th century, Pérail was a family cheese whose recipe was handed down from generation to generation, and it almost disappeared. In the early days, farmers raised ewes to make Roquefort, but saved a little milk at the end of lactation for Pérail. The production of Pérail was most important when the Roquefort dairies closed for the season. It was not until the 1970s, during the struggle against the extension of the military camp on the Larzac plateau, that Pérail gained notoriety. The fervor surrounding the defense of this plateau led to the installation of farms, producing this cheese among other things. The end of this struggle against the extension of the military camp brought about the revival of Pérail, a return to tradition and discovery for some.
Jean-Luc and Julien Bernard, breeders and cheesemakers at Ferme des Truels, were the first to make Pérail their main production and make a living from it in the 1980s.
The need to protect Pérail, but also its history, its terroir and the men and women behind it, was felt. In 1994, the association for the defense and promotion of Pérail was created. It launched the PDO recognition process, which lasted 25 years. However, the desire to protect Pérail’s history and ancestral know-how remained a priority for milk producers and cheese makers. They therefore pursued their collective approach by applying for PGI recognition.
It wasn’t until October 2022 that INAO, the organization responsible for issuing labels, identified Pérail thanks to the Protected Geographical Indication, PGI! Pérail thus becomes the 1st PGI for ewe’s milk. This European label identifies an agricultural product whose quality and reputation are linked to its geographical origin. From now on, for a Pérail to be recognized, it must be made in its territory of origin, as defined in the PGI specifications.
For all information on the PGI process, the Pérail Association provides you with the specifications and control plan on the website: www.perail.fr
Perail cardThis treasure is made on the Grands Causses, shared by 5 départements: Aveyron, Tarn, Hérault, Lozère and Gard. Roquefort has made the Grands Causses the land of “ewe civilization”. This know-how in dairy sheep farming is unique in the world (UNESCO).
The Grands Causses are the combined work of man and nature. It’s not just these grandiose stretches of land that have been declared a World Heritage Site, it’s also the culture of the shepherds who have won this award. Agropastoralism, through its traditional farms, now has a recognized cultural function.
Agropastoralism is a system of animal husbandry that makes extensive use of spontaneous plant resources for grazing herds on rangelands, and producing fodder and cereals for their feed.
As the region suffers from the same climatic hazards, men in symbiosis with their terroirs and their ewes have been able, thanks to Pérail and Roquefort, to design the ancestral production area and get the very best out of it, which is why it is unique.
On the Grands Causses, each “clapas” has a story! Shepherds took their animals to higher ground, traced the “drailles”, carved “buissières” to protect them from the cold winter winds and the summer heat, built “lavognes” for the animals to drink, built “cazelles” for shelter and “jasses” for their flocks. They also dug “caves à fleurine”, to let ewe’s milk rest and mature in Pérail or Roquefort, built cistern roofs to collect and store rainwater and took advantage of “baumes” to shelter with their flocks.
Nearly half the territory of the Parc Naturel Régional des Grands Causses, holds the UNESCO distinction affirming recognition of the outstanding universal value of its “living and evolving cultural landscapes of Mediterranean agropastoralism”.
In addition to the beauty of the place, it’s also the culture of the shepherds that is singled out, for having shaped these landscapes for millennia.
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Agro 3Located in the heart of the Grands Causses, Millau has become the official capital of Pérail, having fought for recognition of Pérail and the know-how linked to its production and manufacturing territory on the land of Lacaune breed ewes.
Once called “Condatomagus” (confluence market), it is also a central market place linking the mountains of the Massif Central and the southern Mediterranean, but also between the Causse farmer and the Millavois city dweller. It’s not uncommon to find pérail on the weekly market in Millau, as this 100% local cheese is an integral part of our region’s identity! It’s a unique bond that stems from the union between the qualities of this cheese and the richness of the Millavois soil.
Inscribed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site for the exceptional cultural landscapes of Mediterranean agropastoralism, the “Causses & Cévennes” and Millau Grands Causses territories, lands of agropastoralism, are today recognized by UNESCO. Thanks to its exceptional natural heritage (not to mention its ewes!), Millau has been able to develop the agropastoral sector and establish most of the production of Pérail in its territory.
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A major player in the making of this precious cheese, the Lacaune ewe does a lot of walking. As we say back home, they “crapahute”! As sharp as a traileur, she grazes without stopping, roaming the grass-poor causses in search of sustenance.
Lacaune ewes are adapted to the harsh environment, and feed on what they find in their pastures, resulting in fat-rich milk, used whole. This composition of short-chain fatty acids has a direct influence on the creamy texture and melting paste of Pérail, thanks to its low melting point temperatures. It also provides the sheep’s wool scent specific to Pérail.
They don’t live exclusively outdoors; during November the ewes return to the sheepfold, due to the sometimes harsh climatic conditions of the Causses.
They have little wool unlike some of its cousins. Sheared once a year for their comfort before the summer heat, the wool is valued locally in the same way as the hide, for leather goods and the world-famous glove industry.
Brebis 97 Office De Tourisme Millau Credit Greg AlricSome Roquefort milk producers also produce Pérail milk. Pérail milk was produced at the end of the ewes’ lactation period, when Roquefort production came to a halt. Farmers then recovered the rennet leftovers and transformed them into Pérail. For economic reasons, quantities of rennet were reduced as production progressed, resulting in the addition of lactic ferments and longer curdling times.
The making of Pérail is an ancestral and historic method, involving several stages:
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Perail moldingIt’s all a question of delicacy and tact, to ensure that our Pérail has no defects in appearance, and that it complies with the characteristics defined by our specifications. As a result, they are ready to be served on tables all over France and the world.
It can be enjoyed at breakfast, with red fruit jam, chestnuts jam or gratte-cul, or at dinner, on pizza, on toast or baked in the oven. Pérail goes well with everything!
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