Saint Albray


Saint Albray is a cheese which comes from the Aquitaine region of France.
Invented in 1976, the cheese is a French soft cheese and roughly similar to Camembert cheese, it has the same attributes, but is not quite as strong and more fat than the latter. Made with pasteurized cow's milk, this popular cheese is ripened for two weeks and formed into a shape like the head of a flower with each "petal" forming a half pound of cheese. The "petals" are formed around a disk, when removed, it creates a hollow center giving the impression of the center of the flower. The cheese is also available in a 'petit' version, weighing 200g with a solid center.
It is not obvious why a name with a religious reference has been chosen. There is no saint with the name Albray, neither is there any kind of place with that name. The same case is given with the very similar Saint Morgon cheese.