Charolais cattle are named after the village of Charolles in eastern France and originate from the patchwork fields of the Charolais and Brionnais regions between the Loire and Arconce rivers. Charolais cattle are raised for their meat. Their coat is almost pure white.
The village of St Christophe-en-Brionnais holds a cattle market every Wednesday (and has done since the 12th century), selling Charolais cattle across Europe. Castrated bulls aged between 30 and 36 months yield a tender, marbled meat that is highly prized by butchers everywhere.