Saint-Marcellin

Saint-Marcellin is a small cylindrical soft-paste cow's milk cheese produced in the Bas-Dauphiné, covering Isère and parts of Drôme and Savoie. Made from raw or thermised whole milk whose fat and protein content has not been standardised, it is neither kneaded nor pressed, lightly salted, and carries no added spices or flavourings. It is registered as a PGI under file number PGI-FR-0832.

About this designation

Saint-Marcellin is registered as a PGI with eAmbrosia identifier EUGI00000014341, file number PGI-FR-0832, with EU protection dating from 8 October 2010. The specification defines the cheese as cylindrical with rounded edges, measuring 65 mm to 80 mm in diameter and 20 mm to 25 mm in height, and weighing at least 80 grams. It is produced from raw or thermised whole cow's milk sourced from within the geographical area; pasteurisation is expressly prohibited, and neither fat nor protein content may be standardised. The paste is soft and lactic, neither kneaded nor pressed, lightly salted, and free of added spices or flavourings. The cheese contains 40 to 65 grams of fat per 100 grams after total desiccation. Two types are recognised: 'dry' Saint-Marcellin, with a dry matter content of more than 44 %, and 'soft' Saint-Marcellin, with a dry matter content of more than 40 %. The cheese cannot be marketed until at least 10 days after renneting. Surface flora ranges in colour from white to beige to grey-blue. Feed rules require that at least 80 % of the dry matter of the total annual feed ration comes from the geographical area, and that grass in all its forms accounts for at least 50 % of the dry matter of the annual feed ration. The stocking rate of holdings is limited to 1.4 LU/ha, and cattle must graze for at least 180 days a year.

Source: The register document this entry was written from · retrieved August 26, 2026

Distinctive facts

• Registered as a PGI on 8 October 2010 under file number PGI-FR-0832 and eAmbrosia identifier EUGI00000014341.
• Pasteurisation is expressly prohibited; milk must be used raw or thermised and may not be standardised for fat or protein.
• The specification recognises two distinct types: 'dry' Saint-Marcellin with dry matter above 44 % and 'soft' Saint-Marcellin with dry matter above 40 %.
• The cheese cannot be marketed until at least 10 days after renneting, and must weigh at least 80 grams.

Tasting notes

Dauphiné cow's milk small soft cheese aged 10+ days. Thin pinkish-cream rind develops with age, ivory paste, soft to oozing texture at peak, mild buttery-mushroom flavor with delicate tangy finish.

HoReCa use

The specification notes that Saint-Marcellin appears on gourmet menus in the Dauphiné and surrounding areas and may be presented as part of a cheese platter, heated in salads, cooked in pastry, or prepared as a gratin.

Packaging

• single-disk-80g
• single-disk-100g
• gift-pack-6x80g
• terra-cotta-faisselle-150g