Charolais

The town and region of Charolles in Burgundy is famous for the Charolais, France’s prettiest and heaviest cattle, the white ones with the little curls between their ears, who feed on the region’s rich grass, and are often seen lounging about in their pastures like odalisques chewing their cud. After Holsteins, they are the country’s top beef cattle; bulls can weigh up to 1,650kg.

Nanny goats living within a 60km radius of Charolles also produce the distinctive tall cylinders Charolais cheese, made from whole raw milk, AOP since 2010; its large size allows for a longer conservation period.