The town of Selles-sur-Cher

Selles-sur-Cher was founded in the 6th century, following a prophecy by Saint Eusice to Childeric, who established the town alongside an abbey.

Heavily impacted by the Wars of Religion, especially during assaults by Admiral de Coligny’s Protestant troops, the town later distinguished itself in the late 1930s by welcoming over 3,000 Spanish refugees fleeing the Franco regime.

The name Selles-sur-Cher originates from its abbey. Derived from Cellae, meaning “monk’s cell”, it evolved over time from Celles to Selles.

Selles-sur-Cher: A town and a culinary treasure

Selles-sur-Cher is famous not only for its rich cultural heritage, but also for its renowed culinary tradition. It’s the birthplace of the PDO Selles-sur-Cher goat cheese, loved by cheese lovers around the world.

Easily recognizable by its bevelled disc shape and slighly grey-blue rind, this goat’s cheese is salted and coated with vegetable ash. Made from whole, unpasteurised goat’s milk, it matures for around 10 days, developing a delicate balance of salty, tangy, and slightly bitter notes, with distinctive aromas of goat and mushrooms.

The Cheese owes its name to the town, as it was traditionally shipped from here to Paris in containers used to collect eggs and cheese from local farms. Selles-sur-Cher cheese gained official recognition in 1996, when it was awarded PDO status.