CHAROLAIS CATTLE

CHAROLAIS CATTLE

What is so special about Charolais cattle, to which a museum has even been dedicated?

First things first: Charolais is one of the best beef breeds in the world alongside Angus, Limousin and Simmenthal. You can find out why this is the case in this article.

According to legend, the French knights at the time of the Crusades carried the beautiful white ox along with their belongings. Charolais cattle are said to have conquered "all pastures in the world" early on with their elegance. The fact is that the French breed of cattle was increasingly bred as a working and meat breed from the 18th century. Originally from a branch of the Jura cattle, they were mainly kept in Charolais-Brionnais (Saône & Loire) in France in 1770. Incidentally, the village of Charolles has dedicated its own museum to the powerful animal, the Maison Charlolais.

Its white fur and horn are typical features, along with its strong build and comparatively small head. The calves suckle from their mother for up to a year. The animals are preferably kept on pastures for up to three years before they are slaughtered. The animals are robust and very balanced.

The Charolais cattle originally come from the south-east of France and are characterized by their uniform white to cream-colored fur without pigment spots. Today, these cattle are kept and bred in over 70 countries, in Germany since about 1960. The fine, light red meat from the Charolais is known for its delicious meat aroma and typical taste. Fine veins of fat run through the lean beef and give it a typical marbling with an unmistakable, aromatic taste. Charolais meat has an intramuscular fat content of only about 3%. That means little surface fat. The meat is lean and tender and pink to beautifully red, has a corresponding firmness and has a lot of taste and finesse.

WHAT CHARACTERIZES THE CHAROLAIS BEEF?

The Charolais beef is robust, balanced, muscular and produces little fat. The perfect traits for a meat and working breed. Therefore, they now live on the pastures all over Europe.

WHERE AND HOW DOES CHAROLAIS BEEF LIVE?

The name of the Charolais cattle comes from the area where it comes from: Charolles. There they even dedicated a museum to the white cattle. Legend has it that French knights carried the noble white cattle along with their baggage on the Crusades. It is said that the Charolais cattle conquered the pastures outside of France very early on.

The natural attitude was retained for the Charolais cattle and so it still grazes on green pastures.

WHAT MAKES CHAROLAIS BEEF MEAT SO SPECIAL?

French breed beef has a distinctive aromatic flavor and is light red in color. It is tender and typically has minimal marbling with very fine veins of fat. The meat is particularly firm and has a great deal of flavor and finesse.