45 French Cheeses. Cheese from France

We introduce you to the 45 most delicious French kinds of cheese that will spoil your taste buds. A culinary homage to cheese from France.

Discover France’s cheeses

Let’s go on a gourmet journey! Starting from Normandy to Auvergne to the Pyrenees, we introduce you to the 45 types of French cheese.

Soft cheese

Berthaut Epoisses

Before the Berthaut Epoisses became world famous, it was invented by Cistercian monks of Citeaux Abbey in the early 16th century and has continued to improve over the years. On the one hand, it was one of Napoleon’s favorite types of cheese, but on the other hand, it also impresses with its particularly buttery consistency.
Maturation: up to 6 weeks
Taste: full-bodied, mild to sour
Aroma: spicy with notes of dried fruits
Origin of the milk: cow’s milk
Region of origin: Burgundy (in the heart of France)
Use: You will love it with red wine or strong white wine.
Price: 100 g approx. €4

Brie de Meaux

Brie de Meaux is one of the spicy French cheeses and is said to have a royal taste. A highlight both in terms of taste and appearance thanks to its beautiful noble mold rind.
Maturation: 4 to 6 weeks
Taste: spicy, sour
Aroma: finely roasted nut aromas
Origin of the milk: cow’s milk
Region of origin: Brie (Eastern France)
Use: Try it with a delicious potato gratin or with crispy white bread.
Price: 100 g approx. €1.79

Camembert

It is the classic among French cheeses and impresses with its piquant and nutty taste. Coming from Normandy, however, it can now also be produced outside of France – the Camembert.
Maturation: about 20 days
Taste: spicy, piquant, nutty
Aroma: stronger note & reminiscent of the smell of mushrooms
Origin of the milk: cow’s milk
Region of origin: Normandy (Northern France)
Use World class as oven cheese – also very tasty to use on gratins, pizzas, or casseroles.
Price: 100 g approx. €1.33

Muenster

Every three weeks it is rubbed with red smear cultures and brine so that the typical orange-colored rind forms. This also creates its hearty aroma. After the ripening is complete, you can eat the red culture bark without hesitation.
Maturation: 21 days
Taste: spicy
Aroma: strongly aromatic
Origin of the milk: cow’s milk
Region of origin: Grand Est (Eastern France)
Use: Test it with caraway seeds on fried potatoes or on your tarte flambée.
Price: 100 g approx. €4

Rocamadour

If you’re new to goat cheese, you’ll love it! Because the French type of cheese Rocamadour has a rather mild smell and taste and is also ideal for touching thanks to its small cheese thaler shape.
Maturation: 12 to 15 days
Taste: mild to sour
Aroma: toasted hazelnut aromas
Origin of the milk: goat’s milk
Region of origin: Occitanie (south-west of France)
Use: You will like it very tasty with fresh white bread.
Price: 100 g approx. 3 €

Pouligny-Saint-Pierre

Because of its shape and its place of manufacture in the heart of Paris, you can also affectionately call it “Tour-Eiffel”. According to legend, the Pouligny-Saint-Pierre was created in honor of Napoleon’s Egyptian campaign because it was shaped like a pyramid. However, since his plan didn’t work out, he returned angrily and cut off the top of the pyramid with his sword.
Maturation: 4 to 5 weeks
Taste: mild to sour
Aroma: smoky with goat aromas
Origin of the milk: goat’s milk
Region of origin: Berry (central France)
Use: Use it as an aesthetic highlight on a cheese platter or as a dessert cheese with a fruity white wine.
Price: 100 g approx. €4.38

Picodon

You can recognize it by its slightly marbled dough, its fine consistency and its round shape. The longer it matures, the stronger the rind of the French Picodon cheese develops.
Taste: mild to slightly sour
Flavor: milky and creamy with a nutty note
Origin of the milk: goat’s milk
Region of origin: Rhône-Alpes (south-eastern France)
Usage: If you’re the hearty type and like goat’s cheese, then, like the French, you’re welcome to serve it for breakfast. The picodon also cuts a fine figure as a topping draped over fresh lettuce.
Price: 100 g approx. €6.50

Valencay

If you like goat cheese, then you should also try the Valençay. Like some other varieties, this one got its name from the commune of the same name in the heart of France.
Taste: creamy with a fresh note of goat’s milk
Aroma: delicately nutty
Origin of the milk: goat’s milk
Region of origin: Centre-Loire Valley
Use: It will taste really delicious on warm toast or with potato dishes as a creamy sauce.
Price: 100 g approx. 3 €

Blue cheese

Bleu d’Auvergne

A farmer from Auvergne had the idea of adding the blue mold from rye bread to raw milk because it gave it a creamy consistency and a strong odor. Voilà – the Bleu d’Auvergne was born.
Maturation: about 1 month
Taste: spicy
Aroma: wild mushrooms, cream, and undergrowth
Origin of the milk: cow’s milk
Region of origin: Auvergne
Use: Delicious with nuts and also very unusual with chicory.
Price: 200 g approx. €4.61

Roquefort

It is made from raw sheep’s milk and is considered one of the oldest cheeses in France. Roquefort is one of the stronger French cheeses due to its high-fat content of 52%.
Maturation: about 3 weeks
Taste: very spicy, nutty, and strong
Aroma: intense
Origin of the milk: sheep’s milk
Region of origin: Roquefort-sur-Soulzon (South of France)
Usage: You’ll love it on freshly baked bread! It is also often melted and used as a cream sauce.
Price: 100 g approx. 3 €

Cut cheese

Cantal

The special thing about it: It is the only cheese that is salted and then pressed twice. pressed? Yes, in order to then completely remove the whey. This process is only used in France for the compact Cantal.
Maturation: 7 to 8 months
Taste: spicy to slightly sweet
Flavor: coarse to intense
Origin of the milk: cow’s milk
Region of origin: Auvergne (in the heart of France)
Use: Try it with salads, cheese fondue, and to gratinate pasta dishes and many other casseroles, such as a hearty savoy casserole with minced meat.
Price: 100 g approx. €2.39

Saint Nectaire

In the past, Saint-Nectaire was matured on rye straw in the caves in the volcanic rocks of the Clermont-Ferrand region and was already very popular back then. Louis XIV of France also adored it for its unique taste. Maybe he will become your new favorite too?
Maturation: 4 to 8 weeks
Taste: salty to slightly sour
Aroma: fruity, earthy to spicy
Origin of the milk: cow’s milk
Region of origin: Saint-Nectaire (in the heart of France)
Usage: do you like tapas? Perfect, then it will taste good with it and with a sweet and palatable white wine.
Price: 100 g approx. €3.69

Reblochon

You just have to try it! Super creamy in consistency, it melts right on your tongue! In addition, this French cheese can only be made with cow’s milk from three regional cattle breeds (Abdondance, Tarentaise, and Montbéliard) that live in the mountainous eastern regions of Haute-Savoie.
Maturation: 2-3 weeks
Taste: full-bodied
Aroma: milky-creamy
Origin of the milk: cow’s milk
Region of origin: Haute Savoie (Eastern France)
Use: Just the thing for fruity wines. Enjoy it with apricots, grapes, or nuts.
Price: 100 g approx. €2.69

Hard cheese

Comte

Because of its high-fat content, it used to be considered a safe food to get through the cold winter months. It has a consistency that is firm to the bite but at the same time soft.
Maturation: about 2 years
Taste: strongly nutty in winter & mildly fruity in spring
Aroma: spicy
Origin of the milk: cow’s milk
Region of origin: Franche-Comté (Eastern France)
Use: Comté is perfect for your fondue. A dry white wine is an ideal combination with this type of cheese.
Price: 100 g approx. €3.79

The seal of quality

In France, there is the AOP seal, the Appellation d’Origine Controlee because each type of cheese requires official proof of quality and origin. The AOP also provides specific guidelines. Now you’re probably asking yourself: What criteria does cheese have to meet in order to receive a seal? Quite simply – if the size, the consistency, the minimum fat content, the shape of the rind, and the aroma are observed.

Other types of cheese with the AOP seal

The varieties presented above are the most popular French cheeses because you can also buy them in well-stocked supermarkets or from a delicatessen in this country.

Cut cheese properly

Did you know that you should cut cheese from the crust to the core of the cheese? The innermost part, the heart of the cheese, is the most aromatic piece and is always shared in larger dining groups in France, as this is considered good manners. In the following, we will show you how to properly cut open the different shapes.

• Round and pyramidal cheeses:

Cut open like a cake, cut out from the middle (= cheese wedges)

• Rectangular cheeses:

Cut parallel to the shorter side or diagonally

• Triangular cheeses:

Cut the top of the cheese straight off
The back pieces are cut diagonally into triangles

Ideal cheese knife

In addition to the different cutting techniques, there are also different knives that are specially designed for each of the French cheeses.

• Knife for hard and semi-hard cheese:

It is best to use a cheese slicer to create fine, straight slices or bite-sized cubes. This is the best way to determine the thickness of the clippings.

• Knife for soft cheese:

It is advantageous to use thin and straight blades so that the cheese does not stick to the knife and you can cut off clean pieces. Use the intervention or soft cheese knife for this, for varieties like Brie or a Camembert.

• Knife for cheese wheel:

If you’re buying an entire loaf, cheese wire comes in handy. You stretch the wire and lay it across the loaf of cheese. For example, you can cut up round and large types of cheese. Make sure that the wire is made of stainless steel, as it will not rust and cause any health problems.

• cutting sheet:

For creamy or crumbly varieties, it’s best to use the cutting blade, as it acts as a jigsaw for the cheese to keep it from crumbling and affecting the shape.

Tip: Make sure you have different cheese knives for the respective varieties ready on a cheese board. Otherwise, it could happen that the typical taste of the respective cheese is distorted.

Colorful and tasty: the cheese companions

Served on a cheese platter, as a highlight on a buffet, or at a picnic, French cheese is excellent. This is how delicious side dishes on a cheese platter can be:

• Grapes
• baguette
• cracker
• Dried figs or apricots
• Nuts, such as walnuts or pistachios
• pear slices
• radish

The wine should not be forgotten. However, you should note that wine that’s too acidic could make your cheese taste too bitter. Therefore, the wine should be based on the strongest cheese. Bring the French attitude to life home and conjure up a colorful cheese platter from the presented French cheeses – Bon Appétit!