Frederic Melton
France is famous for its cheese, and with up to 1000 varieties, it can be hard to choose which ones to try. Some of the most popular French cheeses include Brie, Camembert, Comté, Beaufort, Roquefort, and Chèvre. Each of these cheeses has its own unique characteristics, such as Brie's soft and creamy texture, Camembert's salty and fruity taste, and Comté's delicate nuttiness. The best French cheeses can be enjoyed straight-up or paired with traditional accompaniments like a baguette, crackers, or preserved cherries.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of cheese varieties | 1,000 |
| Number of categories | 8 |
| Most popular French cheese | Brie |
| Best time to eat fresh goat cheese | Spring, summer, and early autumn |
| Region for authentic Camembert | Normandy |
| Region for Beaufort | Savoie in the French Alps |
| Region for Reblochon | Savoie, on the eastern border of France |
| Region for Chèvre | Throughout France |
| Region for Abondance | Haute Savoie in the Rhone-Apes |
| Region for Roquefort | N/A |
| Region for Beaufort Chalet d'Alpage | French Alps |
| Region for Beaufort AOC | Cooperative dairies in the Savoie region |
| Region for Comté | French Alps |
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What You'll Learn
Soft French cheeses: Brie, Camembert, and Chaource
Soft French cheeses, such as Brie, Camembert, and Chaource, are renowned for their creamy textures and distinctive flavours. Each variety boasts a rich history and unique production process, contributing to their status as some of the finest French cheeses.
Brie, a soft cow's milk cheese, has its roots in the town of Meaux in the Brie region of northern France, dating back to the 8th century. It is characterised by a white, edible rind and a slightly bouncy, resilient interior when ripe. Brie is typically sold in segments cut from larger wheels, although some varieties are also offered as small, flat cylinders. The French government officially certifies two types of Brie: Brie de Meaux and Brie de Melun. The former, also known as the "Queen's cheese", is an unpasteurised round cheese with a diameter of 36-37 cm and a weight of approximately 2.8 kg.
Camembert, another celebrated soft cow's milk cheese, originated in Normandy. It is ripened as a small round cheese, fully covered by its distinctive rind. This rind is the result of spraying the surface of the cheese with an aqueous suspension of the mould Penicillium camemberti, which is also used in the production of Brie. Camembert has a stronger flavour than Brie, with a slightly sour and chalky taste. The cheese is wrapped in paper and often placed in wooden boxes for transport, a tradition that dates back to the 19th century.
Chaource, named after the village of Chaource in the Champagne-Ardenne region, is a cow's milk cheese with a soft, creamy-coloured centre and a white Penicillium candidum rind. It is cylindrical in shape, weighing either 250 g or 450 g, and has been produced in its namesake village since the Middle Ages. Chaource is known for its bitter nutshell-like flavour with an earthy note, and it pairs well with wine.
These three soft French cheeses offer a delightful range of tastes and textures, making them beloved choices for cheese enthusiasts worldwide.
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Blue French cheeses: Roquefort
France is home to approximately 1,000 cheese varieties, so it can be challenging to choose the best ones. However, one cheese that consistently makes it onto lists of the top French cheeses is Roquefort, a blue cheese made from sheep's milk in the south of France.
Roquefort is often referred to as the "king of cheeses" or the "cheese of kings", and is considered one of the three best blue cheeses in the world, alongside Stilton and Gorgonzola. It has a distinct, tangy flavour and fragrance, with a creamy texture and veins of blue mould. The exterior is edible and slightly salty. The blue veins provide a sharp tang and the cheese has a pleasurable aftertaste of mould and salt.
Roquefort is made from the milk of the Lacaune breed of sheep. The process of cheesemaking involves adding Penicillium roqueforti, a type of mould found in the soil of the local caves, to the milk. In the early days of Roquefort cheesemaking, this mould was introduced by leaving bread in the caves for several weeks until it was consumed by the mould, after which the bread's interior was dried and turned into a powder that was added to the cheese. Today, the mould is grown in a laboratory and introduced early in the cheesemaking process. As the cheese ages, it is pierced with holes, allowing air to enter and the mould to bloom, forming the characteristic blue-green veins.
The production and naming of Roquefort cheese are protected by law. In 1925, it was the recipient of France's first Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) designation, which dictates that only cheeses aged in the natural Combalou caves of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon may bear the name Roquefort.
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Hard French cheeses: Comté, Beaufort
France is home to a wide variety of cheeses, with up to 1000 cheese varieties. Two of the most famous hard French cheeses are Comté and Beaufort.
Comté
Comté is a type of Gruyère cheese, made from raw, unpasteurized cow's milk. The milk comes from the Montbéliarde and French Simmental breeds of cow, which are fed exclusively on grass and hay. Each cheese requires up to 600 litres of milk. Rennet is added to the milk, causing it to coagulate and form curds. The curds are then cut into tiny grains, heated, and placed into moulds, with the whey pressed out. The moulds are then left to mature in cellars for several weeks at the dairy, and then for several more months elsewhere. The duration of the maturing process varies, meaning Comté can be produced at any time of year. Summer Comté has a more intense yellow colour, a fruity aroma, and a rich bouquet, while winter Comté is more ivory in colour, with nutty, earthy, and roasted flavours.
Beaufort
Beaufort is a hard, unpasteurized cheese produced in the Savoie region of the French Alps. It is made from the raw milk of Tarentaise cows, which graze on lush grass, herbs, and flowers in the mountains. Beaufort is pressed for 24 hours, cooled for another 24 hours, and then soaked in brine. It is then stored on spruce shelves for one to two months, during which it is salted, turned over, and massaged daily. Once the cheese rind has matured, it is smear-ripened with a mixture called morge, which produces its strong flavour and pale yellow rind. The cheese is then aged for 6-12 months in a cool mountain cellar. Beaufort has a smooth and creamy texture and a distinctive aroma, sometimes described as mildly pungent. It is often used to make fondue, and pairs well with red wine, ale, whiskey, and bourbon.
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French goat cheeses: Chèvre, Fromages de Chèvre
Chèvre, or French goat cheese, is made all over France and comes in a variety of shapes and sizes. From coin-sized pieces wrapped in ash and grape leaves to large, fresh, ripened cheese resembling feta, there is a goat cheese for everyone. The best time to enjoy fresh, young fromages de chèvre is in the spring, summer, and early autumn months. This is when goats graze on wild herbs such as thyme, rosemary, lavender, and winter savory, which grow in the hills of Provence and along the Mediterranean basin. These herbs give the milk a distinctive flavour.
Each goat cheese has a unique identity, and its shape indicates its flavour. They come in various colours, from bright white when fresh to grey with ash, rolled in herbs, or wrapped in leaves. Some are made from raw milk, while others are pasteurised. French goat cheeses made from raw milk are available in the US.
The most famous French goat cheeses are the Chèvres de la Loire (AOC). These delicate chèvres are made in the Loire Valley and include Crottin de Chavignol, which is shaped like a drum, and Sainte-Maure de Tourtaines, a thick stick covered.
French goat cheeses also come in various other shapes, such as crottins, cylinders, and pyramids. Each region in France has its own speciality, closely tied to its land and traditions.
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Regional French cheeses: Reblochon, Tommes de Savoie
France is known for its cheeses, and the country boasts up to 1000 varieties. While it is hard to pinpoint the top French cheeses, some of the most famous ones include Camembert, Roquefort, and Chèvre. Regional French cheeses, such as Reblochon and Tommes de Savoie, are also considered among the best.
Reblochon
Reblochon is a soft, semi-soft, washed-rind, and smear-ripened French cheese. It is made in the Alpine region of Haute-Savoie from raw cow's milk. The cheese has its own Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) designation, which is the highest level of protection for French food and wine. Reblochon was first produced in the Thônes and Arly valleys in the Aravis massif, and Thônes remains the centre of its production. The term "Reblochon" comes from the French verb "reblocher", which means "to pinch a cow's udder again", referring to the traditional method of making this cheese, which involves using the second milk batch of the day. Reblochon has an orange-yellow colour with a velvety rind and an ivory interior. It has a creamy, nutty taste and a delicate nutty aftertaste.
Tommes de Savoie
Tomme is a name given to a family of cheeses originating from the French Alps and Switzerland, with Tomme de Savoie being a notable variety produced in the Savoie region of northwestern France. Tomme de Savoie is an upland variety of Tomme, dating back to ancient history. It is a mild, semi-firm cow's milk cheese with a beige interior and a thick brownish-grey rind. Tomme de Savoie is usually made from the skimmed milk left over after the cream is used to make butter or richer cheeses, resulting in a relatively low fat content of between 20 and 45%. The flavour profile of Tomme de Savoie varies seasonally, depending on the diet of the cows, whether winter hay or summer grass. It has a grassy, nutty taste with subtle tangy, slightly citrusy notes.
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Frequently asked questions
France has a wide variety of cheeses, with up to 1,000 cheese varieties to choose from. However, some of the best and most popular French cheeses include:
- Camembert, a soft cheese with a white rind, is considered one of the first cheeses associated with France.
- Brie, a soft cheese from the Ile de France region, is known as the "Queen of Cheeses".
- Comté, an Alpine cheese with a nutty flavour, is a popular choice for those who want to go for a traditional hard French cheese.
- Roquefort, considered one of the three best blue cheeses in the world, has a clean, forceful flavour and a pleasant aftertaste of mould and salt.
Aside from the aforementioned cheeses, some other popular French cheeses include:
- Beaufort, a large, hard, unpasteurised wheel of cheese produced in the Savoie region of the French Alps.
- Chèvre, or goat cheese, is made throughout France and comes in various shapes and sizes.
- Reblochon, a mountain cheese from the Savoie region, is known for its pungent odour and soft, smooth interior.
- Tomme de Savoie, a farmhouse cheese made with raw cow's milk, is a popular choice among French customers.
When serving French cheeses, it is recommended to mix up textures and flavours. A classic French cheese plate might feature a hard Alpine cheese like Comté, a soft cheese such as Brie, and a blue cheese like Roquefort. It is also a good idea to mix up the milk types, offering a selection of goat, sheep, and cow's milk cheeses. French cheeses can be eaten on their own or paired with a baguette, crackers, or preserved cherries.
When storing French cheeses, it is important to avoid using plastic wrap as cheese does not like it. Instead, use cheese paper, wax paper, or parchment paper.
