In the southern French region of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, between the lightly buzzing violet fields of lavender, pine forests and craggy Alpine cliffs, lies the ancient town of Banon. Dating back to pre-history, the tiny hilltop village is home to a population of just over 1,000. But every September, the population more than triples as they welcome quite possibly the most French sporting event you’ve ever heard of:
.There’s no easy way to translate the name — Google says it’s “the Cheese Trail”, which is more correct in spirit than in practice – but essentially, the premise is this: a mountain bike race through the Provençal countryside with designated stops along the way to snack on the town’s eponymous cheese, Banon.
Much like champagne can only be called champagne if produced in the Champagne region of France, Banon is an AOP-designated cheese – l’appellation d’origine protégée, or ‘protected destination of origin’ — meaning it can only be produced in Banon and its surrounds.
“Banon is a fresh goat cheese, of which France has many!” explains Emily Monaco, a culinary journalist and cheese judge based in Paris. “What makes it stand out from other chèvres is the way it’s aged. First, it’s aged ‘naked’ for five to 10 days, then it’s wrapped in chestnut leaves for a second ageing of a minimum of 10 days. If it’s young, Banon tends to have a fairly subtle aroma of underbrush, but as it ages, it can develop more ‘character’, as the French would say, with a more assertive, barnyard-y flavour.”
These flavours can vary a lot, depending on how old it is and whether producers have dunked their Banons in marc or grappa.
“But I kind of like that,” says Emily. “It means that when you untie the little raffia bow holding the chestnut leaves in place, it feels like you’re opening a surprise gift!”
The race, along with Banon’s Cheese Festival, Fête du Fromage à Banon, is designed to help raise awareness of local production, explains Christian Loeillet, the organiser of the event. “The race is very well known because it is old and it offers beautiful routes in Haute-Provence [the region in which Banon belongs]. The snack stops along the way with generous serves of cheese help!”
“It’s definitely one of the events that puts the town on the map,” agrees Romain. “It seems to be very popular. When I did it, several years ago now, there were probably a couple thousand of participants, and that really puts quite a crowd in a tiny village like this!”
The race is open to anyone interested in mountain biking and the pretty Provençal terrain – and, of course, the cheese, bien sûr – but it comes as no surprise that this event is pretty popular and like most good things, it’s best to book early.
