Balzac cited this cheese in 1841. It can be easily recognised by the length of straw that runs through its middle, a legacy of the practice that was used historically to stop the cheese from breaking apart. For a long time counterfeiters circulated imitations, so Sainte-Maure-de- Touraine producers now use a laser to engrave the Designation’s name and the maker’s identification number on the straw. It is rolled in charcoal ash blended with salt and, depending on the maturing time, is available moist, semi-ripened or ripened.