Banon comes from northern Provence. It is a very old cheese, maybe from the Gallo-Roman era. The legend says that the Roman emperor Antoninus Pius (86-161 A.D.) ate so much of Banon that he died". In order to keep the cheese fresh for the long winter time, this round cheese is wrapped in chestnut leaves and tied with raffia or straw.
Mostly a goat's milk cheese, Banon also has a small amount of cow's milk blended into. The cheese is generously salted and pre-matures for 1 or 2 weeks. Banon is washed with a local eau-de-vie (Marc) and wrapped in chesnut leaves.
Banon is creamy with a full fruity and woody flavour. The cheese is best after having ripened for a few weeks. Ripening can result in a small amount of edible blue mold under the wrapper. This mold helps to develop the flavor of the cheese.