Group · Dairy
Valençay
Valençay is a goat’s cheese from the Berry region, shaped like a truncated pyramid and dusted with vegetable charcoal ash. PDO since 1998, its shape is said to have been decapitated on Talleyrand’s orders after the Egyptian campaign. The legend is a nice one; the pyramid is mostly just a practical mould.
In terms of nutrition facts: 295 kcal per 100 g, with 24.3 g of fat of which 17.7 g is saturated, and 18.5 g of protein. It provides 181 mg of phosphorus, 120 mg of calcium, 84.8 µg of vitamin B9 and 40 µg of iodine per 100 g, with 1.42 g of salt.
Macronutrient breakdown
Nutrition table per 100 g
| Calories | 295 kcal |
| Kilojoules | 1220 kJ |
| Protein | 18,5 g |
| Carbohydrate | 0,7 g |
| Fat | 24,3 g |
Micronutrients per 100 g
All measured nutrients, ranked by share of the daily reference intake.
- Vitamin B20,64 mg46 %
- Vitamin B984,8 µg42 %
- Iodine40 µg27 %
- Phosphorus181 mg26 %
- Selenium9 µg16 %
- Vitamin B50,95 mg16 %
- Calcium120 mg15 %
- Vitamin B60,11 mg8 %
See the other 10 nutrients
- Potassium150 mg8 %
- Vitamin B31,12 mg7 %
- Zinc0,55 mg6 %
- Omega-3 ALA0,11 g6 %
- Omega-6 LA0,49 g5 %
- Total omega-30,12 g5 %
- Magnesium15,3 mg4 %
- EPA0,01 g3 %
- Vitamin E0,32 mg3 %
- Iron0,19 mg1 %
Anses Ciqual 2025. Source: Anses, 2025, Ciqual food composition table
Tips
The ash is not just decoration. The vegetable charcoal regulates surface moisture and neutralises acidity, which encourages the ripening flora to develop. It is edible and adds nothing nutritionally.
One pyramid weighs 220 g. That is 649 kcal: a sharing cheese, not a portion. Allow a 30 g slice per person on a cheeseboard, or 89 kcal.
84.8 µg of vitamin B9. That is 42% of the reference intake per 100 g, as with most matured goat’s cheeses. It is the signature micronutrient of this family.
It can be eaten at any age. Young, it is fresh and lemony; at six weeks, the paste becomes dense and a hazelnut flavour appears. Both are legitimate, and the price is the same.
Raw milk, as the PDO requires. Not recommended for pregnant women or people with weakened immune systems.