This is a cheese mould, that comes in different shapes and sizes, with holes made in it so that the whey which is added can drain. The word comes from the Latin fiscellae. These strainers were originally made from baked clay, stoneware or porcelain, and later in wood, iron, aluminium, plastic... This particular mould is commonly used in the Centre-West region of France for goat cheese and in the South-East for cheese from cow's milk.
Two more related words:
FAISSELLIER : instrument used for pressing curds in Neufchatel cheese.
FAISCINE : word related to the above with Latin origin meaning a whey mould and used in the region around Tours.
And can also mean ... the cheese itself, fresh from the mould but still not properly drained. Fascinating, n'est-ce pas?
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