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🇫🇷 The cheeses of France

94 cheeses from France, best known first, across 80 towns, markets and caves.

France produces a vast array of cheeses, with estimates ranging from one thousand to sixteen hundred distinct types. This diversity is organized into eight main families and regulated by strict origin labels that define production methods.

  • Estimates suggest between 1,000 and 1,600 distinct types exist.
  • Cheeses are grouped into eight broad families.
  • Farmhouse cheese uses milk from the same farm.
  • Cooperatives pool local milk for larger production.
  • EU PDO rules replaced the national AOC system.

Cheese in France

French dairy culture is defined by immense variety, often cited as having over two hundred varieties alone, though total counts reach much higher. The nation groups its output into eight broad families to manage this complexity. These products range from small local batches to large factory runs. The character of the cheese depends heavily on where it comes from and who makes it. Neighboring countries share some styles, but French rules on origin create a unique legal framework for each type.

Milk, making and ageing

Production falls into four main categories based on scale and milk source. Farmhouse cheeses use milk produced directly on the farm where the cheese is made. Artisanal makers produce small quantities, often buying extra milk from nearby farms. Cooperative dairies allow local producers to pool resources for larger output. Industrial factories source milk widely, sometimes across the entire country, following specific regulations.

Today

The European Union's Protected Designation of Origin system now governs most French cheeses. This replaced older national labels like AOC to prevent confusion. Cheeses can also carry the less strict PGI label. Many common brands do not hold these protections. The system ensures that only registered products can use specific geographical terms.

Where this page comes from

The facts in this overview come from the Wikipedia article "List of French cheeses", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence. EveryCheese rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.

Cheese townMarketCaves and cellarsPastureDairy regionCity

Cheese towns and markets of France

Normandy 5Auvergne 4Aveyron 4Savoie 4Cantal 3Aquitaine 2Aubrac 2Corsica 2Époisses 2Franche-Comté 2Meaux 2Midi-Pyrénées 2Nouvelle-Aquitaine 2Périgord 2Quercy 2Abondance 1Aisy-sous-Thil 1Albertville 1Allier 1Ambert 1Aravis 1Ardèche 1Arly valley 1Aube 1Auvilliers 1Axat 1Basque region 1Bauges 1Bauges mountains 1Beaufortain 1Beauzac 1Belcaire 1Bougon 1Boulogne-sur-Mer 1Bréhan 1Bresse 1Bulgnéville 1Burgundy 1Camembert 1Centre-Val de Loire 1Cévennes 1Chablais 1Champagne-Ardenne 1Champlitte 1Chaource 1Charente 1Charolles 1Chavignol 1Chézery-Forens 1Combalou 1Condrieu 1Côte-d'Or 1Coulommiers 1Croisy-sur-Eure 1Deux-Sèvres 1Dieulefit 1Drôme 1Forez mountains 1Gérardmer 1Gorges du Tarn 1Haut-Doubs 1Haute-Savoie 1Indre-et-Loire 1Isère 1Isigny-sur-Mer 1Jura 1Jura Mountains 1Lajoux 1Langres 1Languedoc-Roussillon 1Laon 1Le Grand-Abergement 1Les Moussières 1Lille 1Limagne 1Limousin 1Livarot 1Loches 1Loire 1Loire Valley 1
StyleFreshBrinedStretched curdBloomy rindLacticWashed rindSemi-softSemi-hardAlpineHardBlueSmokedWheyDriedProcessed
MilkCowGoatSheepBuffaloYakCamelMixedOther
FlavourMilky and freshButtery and creamyNuttySweet and caramelTangy and lacticSaltySharp and tangy-agedSavoury and brothyEarthy and cellarMushroomyPungent and funkySmokyHerbal and grassyPiquant and spicy
🇫🇷 FranceCamembert A soft-ripened cow's milk cheese from Normandy with a white mould rindCow · Bloomy rind · Earthy and cellar 🇬🇷 Greece and 5 moreFetaφέτα A crumbly Greek brined cheese made from sheep and goat milk.Sheep · Brined · Tangy and lactic 🇮🇹 Italy and 5 moreRicotta A fresh Italian whey cheese made by reheating leftover proteins from other cheesemaking batches.Sheep · Fresh · Milky and fresh 🇨🇭 Switzerland and 5 moreEmmentalEmmentaler A yellow, medium-hard Swiss cheese with natural holes, aged for several months.Cow · Semi-hard · Savoury and brothy 🇫🇷 FranceBaguette laonnaise A soft, washed-rind cow's milk cheese from northern France shaped like a small loaf.Cow · Washed rind · Savoury and brothy 🇫🇷 FranceClochette A small bell-shaped goat cheese from France with a wrinkled white rind and firm texture.Goat · Bloomy rind · Tangy and lactic 🇫🇷 FranceRoule cheese A soft, herb and garlic flavoured cow's milk cheese rolled into a spiral shape.Cow · Bloomy rind · Herbal and grassy 🇫🇷 France and 4 moreTrappista cheeseTrapist sir A semi-hard cow's-milk cheese with a mild flavor and pale yellow paste.Cow · Semi-hard 🇫🇷 France and 3 moreBrie A soft, pale French cow's-milk cheese with a white mould rind, aged for about five weeks.Cow · Bloomy rind · Nutty 🇫🇷 FranceRoquefortRòcafòrt A raw sheep's milk blue cheese aged in the Combalou caves of southern France.Sheep · Semi-hard · Tangy and lactic 🇨🇭 Switzerland and 2 moreGruyère A hard, pressed Swiss cheese made from raw cow's milk, aged for several months.Cow · Hard · Sweet and caramel 🇫🇷 France and 2 moreBlue cheese A family of cheeses defined by blue-green mold veins created through deliberate inoculation and piercing.Cow · Semi-soft · Sharp and tangy-aged 🇮🇹 Italy and 1 moreCasu MarzuCasu martzu A Sardinian fermented sheep cheese containing live fly larvae.Sheep · Savoury and brothy 🇫🇷 France and 1 moreMunsterMunster-géromé A washed-rind cow's-milk cheese from the Vosges mountains of eastern France.Cow · Bloomy rind · Pungent and funky 🇫🇷 France and 1 moreReblochon A soft washed-rind cow's milk cheese from the French Alps with a nutty flavour.Cow · Bloomy rind · Nutty 🇫🇷 FranceComté A hard, cooked-pressed cow's milk cheese from eastern France, aged up to three years.Cow · Semi-hard · Nutty 🇫🇷 France and 1 moreMimolette A bright orange cow's-milk cheese from northern France, aged with mites for a nutty flavor.Cow · Hard · Nutty 🇫🇷 FranceBeaufort A firm, hole-free Alpine cow's milk cheese from the French Savoie region.Cow · Alpine · Buttery and creamy 🇫🇷 FranceLivarot A soft Normandy cow's-milk cheese with a pungent orange rind wrapped in reed bands.Cow · Bloomy rind · Pungent and funky 🇮🇹 Italy and 4 moreFontinafontine A semi-soft cow's milk cheese from Italy's Aosta Valley, known for its nutty flavor and excellent melting quality.Cow · Semi-soft · Nutty 🇫🇷 FranceÉpoisses A pungent washed-rind cow's-milk cheese from Burgundy, rinsed in local brandy.Cow · Bloomy rind · Pungent and funky 🇫🇷 FranceFrench NeufchâtelNeufchâtel A soft, grainy Normandy cow's-milk cheese with a bloomy rind, aged for two months.Cow · Bloomy rind · Salty 🇫🇷 FranceAbondance A semi-hard raw cow's milk cheese from Haute-Savoie aged on spruce boards.Cow · Semi-hard · Savoury and brothy 🇫🇷 FranceMorbier A semi-soft French cow's milk cheese marked by a thin dark ash line running through its center.Cow · Semi-soft 🇨🇭 Switzerland and 1 moreTête de Moine A semi-hard Swiss cow's milk cheese shaved into rosettes with a special tool.Cow · Semi-hard · Savoury and brothy 🇫🇷 FrancePont-l'Évêque A soft, square cow's-milk cheese from Normandy with a washed rind and pungent aroma.Cow · Bloomy rind · Pungent and funky 🇫🇷 FranceBleu de Gex A mild French blue cheese from the Jura mountains made with raw cow's milk.Cow · Semi-soft 🇫🇷 FranceBrocciu A fresh Corsican cheese made from sheep milk and whey, drained in rush baskets.Sheep · Fresh · Milky and fresh 🇫🇷 FranceLangres A washed-rind cow's milk cheese from the Langres plateau in France.Cow · Bloomy rind · Savoury and brothy 🇫🇷 FranceFourme d'AmbertForma d'Embèrt A narrow cylindrical blue cheese from the Auvergne region of France.Cow · Semi-hard · Savoury and brothy 🇫🇷 FranceCoulommiers A soft cow's-milk cheese with a bloomy rind from the Seine-et-Marne department of France.Cow · Bloomy rind · Nutty 🇫🇷 FranceChaource A soft-ripened cow's-milk cheese from north-eastern France with a white mould rind.Cow · Bloomy rind · Salty 🇫🇷 FranceLaguioleLa Guiòla A semi-hard pressed cow's milk cheese from the Aubrac plateau in southern France.Cow · Semi-hard · Nutty 🇫🇷 FranceFourme de MontbrisonFôrma de Montbréson A mild, cylindrical cow's-milk blue cheese from the Forez mountains of France.Cow · Blue 🇫🇷 FranceBleu des CaussesBlau dels Causses A raw cow's milk blue cheese aged in the limestone caves of southern France.Cow · Blue · Savoury and brothy 🇫🇷 FranceSaint-NectaireSench-Nectari A semi-soft washed-rind cow's-milk cheese from the volcanic Auvergne region of France.Cow · Semi-soft · Nutty 🇮🇹 Italy and 5 moreBuffalo mozzarellamozzarella di bufala A fresh, soft pasta filata cheese made from Italian Mediterranean buffalo milk.Buffalo · Fresh · Milky and fresh 🇫🇷 FranceSalersSalèrn A semi-hard cow's-milk cheese from the Auvergne, aged in caves for up to four years.Cow · Semi-hard · Savoury and brothy 🇫🇷 FranceRocamadourRòcamador A small, soft goat's-milk cheese from southwest France with a protected status.Goat · Bloomy rind · Milky and fresh 🇫🇷 FrancePort Salut A mild semi-soft cow's milk cheese with an orange rind, made in France since the nineteenth century.Cow · Semi-soft 🇳🇱 Netherlands and 1 moreLeerdammer A Dutch semihard cow's-milk cheese with holes and a sweet nutty taste.Cow · Semi-hard · Sweet and caramel 🇫🇷 FranceCrottin de Chavignol A small French goat cheese from the Loire Valley, aged to develop a white or blue rind.Goat · Bloomy rind · Nutty 🇫🇷 France and 1 moreCancoillotte A runny French cheese made by melting metton, served hot or cold in the east.Cow · Processed · Milky and fresh 🇫🇷 France and 1 moreVacherin Mont d'Or A soft, seasonal cow's milk cheese wrapped in spruce bark from the Jura mountains.Cow · Bloomy rind · Earthy and cellar 🇫🇷 FranceBleu du Vercors-Sassenage A mild, semi-soft cow's milk blue cheese from the French Alps.Cow · Semi-soft · Sweet and caramel 🇫🇷 FranceTomme de Savoie A semi-soft cow's milk cheese from the French Alps with a thick rind.Cow · Semi-soft 🇫🇷 FrancePouligny-Saint-Pierre A pyramidal goat cheese from central France with a mouldy rind and crumbly white paste.Goat · Bloomy rind · Salty 🇫🇷 FranceBleu de Bresse A creamy French blue cheese from the Bresse region, aged for a few weeks.Cow · Blue · Earthy and cellar
More cheeses

Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

The weekly digest

Every Monday: seven cheeses you may not know, the cheese days of the week ahead, and one dish explained step by step.