Kamil Perry
France has a long history of cheesemaking, with the country now known for over 400 cheeses. In its early days, cheese was a local product, identified by its geographical origin, such as Brie or Camembert from Normandie. The first to write about the cheesemaking process was the Roman agronomist Columella in 60AD, but after the fall of the Roman Empire, many cheese recipes were lost. Some were kept alive in monasteries, however, and from the 13th century, production began to grow on French farms, with peasants inventing regional cheeses.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| First written record of cheesemaking process | 60AD by Roman agronomist Columella |
| First recorded French cheeses | Maroilles, Munster and Pont-L’Évêque, dating back to the 13th century |
| First recorded French cheeses by region | Brie, Camembert from Normandie |
| First televised advertisement for cheese in France | Boursin, 1968 |
| Definition of French term for cheese by law | 12 November 2013 |
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What You'll Learn
- The first cheesemaking processes were recorded by Roman agronomist Columella in 60AD
- After the fall of the Roman Empire, monasteries kept some cheese recipes alive
- In the 13th century, French farms began to produce cheese on a larger scale
- Peasants invented regional cheeses, such as Maroilles, Munster and Pont-L’Évêque
- The first televised advert for cheese in France was broadcast in 1968
The first cheesemaking processes were recorded by Roman agronomist Columella in 60AD
The curd, a natural result of milk that has coagulated, was soon used after this. From the 13th century, production began to grow on French farms, with peasants inventing regional cheeses. The first cheese cooperative was founded at this time by women, who passed recipes and know-how down from mothers to daughters. Many of these recipes, such as Maroilles, Munster and Pont-L’Évêque, still exist today.
Well-known cheeses such as Cheddar, Parmigiano-Reggiano, Gouda and Camembert were first produced and recorded in the late Middle Ages. France is known for well over 400 cheeses, many of which are simply identified by their geographical origin, such as the cheese from Brie, and Camembert from Normandie.
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After the fall of the Roman Empire, monasteries kept some cheese recipes alive
Cheese has a long history in France, with the country now known for well over 400 varieties. However, the first cheeses were very much local products, identified by their geographical origin, such as Brie and Camembert from Normandie.
The first person to write about the different stages of the cheesemaking process was the Roman agronomist Columella in 60AD. After the fall of the Roman Empire, several cheese recipes were lost. However, some production secrets were kept alive in monasteries, which continued to make cheese. Many of their recipes, such as Maroilles, Munster and Pont-L’Évêque, still exist today.
From the 13th century, cheese production began to grow on French farms, with peasants inventing regional cheeses. The first cheese cooperative was founded at this time by women in search of a source of income who wanted to take advantage of dairy production. This was the start of a French tradition based on the idea that cheesemaking was something almost exclusively done by women, with recipes and know-how passed down from mothers to daughters and improved upon over time.
Many well-known cheeses were first produced and recorded in the late Middle Ages. For example, Cheddar in 1500 CE, Parmigiano-Reggiano in 1597, Gouda in 1697 and Camembert in 1791.
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In the 13th century, French farms began to produce cheese on a larger scale
The first to write about the different stages required in the cheesemaking process was the Roman agronomist Columella in 60AD. After the fall of the Roman empire, several cheese recipes had already disappeared. But some production secrets remained hidden in monasteries which continued to make cheese. Many of their recipes, such as Maroilles, Munster and Pont-L’Évêque, still exist today.
In the 13th century, peasants invented regional cheeses. The first cheese cooperative was founded at this time by women in search of a source of income and who wanted to take advantage of dairy production. This marked the beginning of cheese production on a larger scale in France.
France has an uninterrupted history of cheesemaking and today is known for well over 400 cheeses. But in its early days in France, cheese remained very much a local product, simply identified by its geographical origin. For example, the cheese from Brie, the cheese (Camembert) from Normandie.
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Peasants invented regional cheeses, such as Maroilles, Munster and Pont-L’Évêque
France has a long history of cheesemaking, with over 400 cheeses known today. In its early days, cheese was a local product, identified by its geographical origin, such as Brie and Camembert from Normandie.
Cheese was first made in France by peasants, who invented regional cheeses such as Maroilles, Munster and Pont-L’Évêque. These recipes were developed in monasteries and passed down from mothers to daughters. The first cheese cooperative was founded in the 13th century by women who wanted to take advantage of dairy production and find a source of income.
The first written records of cheesemaking date back to 60AD, when the Roman agronomist Columella wrote about the different stages of the process. However, the consumption of milk dates back much further, to 11,000-6,000BC, when Neolithic hunters began farming and no longer needed to hunt for food. Curd, a natural result of milk that has coagulated, was soon used after this.
Many cheeses that are well-known today were first produced and recorded in the late Middle Ages. For example, Cheddar in 1500 CE, Parmigiano-Reggiano in 1597, Gouda in 1697 and Camembert in 1791.
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The first televised advert for cheese in France was broadcast in 1968
Cheese has been made in France since the 13th century, when production began to grow on French farms. Peasants invented regional cheeses and the first cheese cooperative was founded by women. Many of the recipes from this time, such as Maroilles, Munster and Pont-L’Évêque, are still made today.
The history of French cheesemaking is age-old. Human consumption of milk dates back to the first farms, from 11,000 to 6,000 BC, depending on the region of the world. Goats were the first animals to be domesticated, and cattle farming began 3,000 years later. Curd, a natural result of milk that has coagulated, was soon used after this.
The first person to write about the different stages required in the cheesemaking process was the Roman agronomist Columella in 60 AD. After the fall of the Roman Empire, some cheese recipes were lost, but others remained hidden in monasteries, where cheesemaking continued.
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Frequently asked questions
Cheese has been made in France since the Middle Ages.
Cheesemaking was traditionally done by women, with recipes passed down from mothers to daughters.
Some of the earliest French cheeses include Maroilles, Munster and Pont-L’Évêque, which were made in monasteries.
Cheesemaking in France dates back to the 13th century, when production began to grow on French farms.
Some well-known French cheeses include Brie, Camembert, and Roquefort. Brie and Camembert were first made in the Middle Ages, while Roquefort has been made since ancient times.
