Cantal is one of the oldest cheeses in France, made in the Auvergne region alongside Salers and Laguiole, and the recipe may go back as far as the Romans. It's a cow's milk cheese, semi-firm and uncooked, with a natural rind and a pale ivory paste that breaks into a clean, slightly flaky slab under the knife.

On the palate it leads with buttery cow's milk and a soft lactic tang, with a quiet nutty pull through the middle and a savory finish that holds for a moment before clearing. The paste is dense without being hard, the kind of texture that slices clean for a board and melts beautifully when you put it to heat.

This is one of the great melting cheeses of France, the cheese behind aligot and truffade, those potato dishes the Auvergne is famous for. It's just as happy on its own with a glass of wine, a slice of bread, a few walnuts. One of the oldest recipes in the country, and one of the most useful cheeses you can keep in the fridge.