Hi Michael,

I don't think that the rules have changed. It seems to be a matter of who is minding the store at the time.

Some people have reported bringing home jars of foie gras, others have brought home prosciutto, etc, all things that are definite NoNo's.

Michael:

Perhaps it was another message board where I read about recent not so good experiences with the Moulin de l'Abbaye. In any event, our last meal there, now 7-8 years ago, was superb, though quite expensive by comparison to other very good meals in the Périgord. And, it's a loooong way to go from the Sarlat area for dinner.

pdx: As for cheeses, I'm pretty confident it's against the rules to bring raw milk cheeses in, but as someone said, for every rule like that there will always be people who get away with it. But about the vacuum packing, how would you get them vacuum packed? The supermarkets don't do it, to my knowledge, the vendors in the markets certainly don't, and I've never seen evidence of vacuum packing at a fromagerie, though admittedly I've never asked.

My advice is to stuff yourself silly while you're there. If you feel compelled to bring home cheese, the store at CDG does a good job of packing cheeses for passengers - but I've never seen a Périgord cheese there.

Happy travels and good eating....

Ira--It does depend on the official, but I went through the agricultural check itself, not the general customs check, and there they took away my stuffed goose neck because it contained pork, but said that the foie gras was fine (but pâté would not be) because it was in a stamped can--jars are a no-no; and they were not interested in the cheese at all. This was not an individual agent's arbitrary decision because she asked the supervisor who out loud gave the rules I have just mentioned.

If you're ready to spend big euros to eat at le Moulin de l"Abbaye, as an alternative, you might consider le Centenaire in les Eyzies, which is much closer to where you will be, and has 2 Michelin stars. However, if you are in Brantôme, and you think that le Moulin is too pricey, then try le Chabrol-Charbonnel, which is very good indeed, and much less expensive.

Hi Michael,

That is great to hear, becuase the C&BP website is still saying

"Dairy items such as milk, yogurt, butter are generally admissible, although this is subject to change, depending on disease outbreaks. Eggs may be admissible, although frequent outbreaks of Exotic Newcastles Disease and avian flu make it very likely that they will be denied entry. Hard cured cheese such as parmesan or cheddar are generally admissible, **soft cheeses such as brie and soft curd cheese and cheese in water(ricotta, feta, etc.) are not**.

(my emphasis)

See http://help.customs.gov/cgi-bin/cust...mp;p_topview=1