🇫🇷 The cheeses of France

99 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 town Market Caves and cellars Pasture Dairy region City

Cheese towns and markets of France

Normandy 5 Savoie 5 Auvergne 4 Aveyron 4 Cantal 3 Aquitaine 2 Aubrac 2 Corsica 2 Époisses 2 Franche-Comté 2 Haut-Doubs 2 Jura 2 Meaux 2 Melun 2 Midi-Pyrénées 2 Nouvelle-Aquitaine 2 Périgord 2 Quercy 2 Seine-et-Marne 2 Abondance 1 Aisy-sous-Thil 1 Albertville 1 Allier 1 Ambert 1 Aravis 1 Ardèche 1 Arly valley 1 Aube 1 Auvilliers 1 Axat 1 Basque region 1 Bauges 1 Bauges mountains 1 Beaufortain 1 Beauzac 1 Belcaire 1 Bougon 1 Boulogne-sur-Mer 1 Bréhan 1 Bresse 1 Bulgnéville 1 Burgundy 1 Camembert 1 Centre-Val de Loire 1 Cévennes 1 Chablais 1 Champagne-Ardenne 1 Champlitte 1 Chaource 1 Charente 1 Charolles 1 Chavignol 1 Chézery-Forens 1 Combalou 1 Condrieu 1 Côte-d'Or 1 Coulommiers 1 Croisy-sur-Eure 1 Deux-Sèvres 1 Dieulefit 1 Drôme 1 Forez mountains 1 Gérardmer 1 Gorges du Tarn 1 Haute-Savoie 1 Indre-et-Loire 1 Isère 1 Isigny-sur-Mer 1 Jura Mountains 1 Lajoux 1 Langres 1 Languedoc-Roussillon 1 Laon 1 Le Grand-Abergement 1 Les Moussières 1 Lille 1 Limagne 1 Limousin 1 Livarot 1 Loches 1

🇫🇷 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 🇫🇷 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

🇫🇷 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

🇫🇷 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

🇫🇷 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

🇨🇭 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

🇫🇷 FranceBrocciu A fresh Corsican cheese made from sheep milk and whey, drained in rush baskets.Sheep · Fresh · Milky and fresh

🇫🇷 FranceFourme d'AmbertForma d'Embèrt A narrow cylindrical blue cheese from the Auvergne region of France.Cow · Semi-hard · Savoury and brothy

🇫🇷 FranceLaguioleLa Guiòla A semi-hard pressed cow's milk cheese from the Aubrac plateau in southern France.Cow · Semi-hard · Nutty

🇫🇷 FranceRocamadourRòcamador A small, soft goat's-milk cheese from southwest France with a protected status.Goat · Bloomy rind · Milky and fresh

🇫🇷 FrancePicodon A small, spicy goat cheese from southern France with a rind that turns golden as it ages.Goat · Bloomy rind · Tangy and lactic

🇫🇷 FranceGaperon A dome-shaped Auvergne cheese with a white mold rind and garlic-pepper filling.Cow · Bloomy rind · Buttery and creamy

🇫🇷 FranceSelles-sur-Cher A small cylindrical goat cheese with a grey-blue mould rind from Centre-Val de Loire.Goat · Bloomy rind · Salty

🇫🇷 FrancePélardon A small, round soft-ripened goat cheese from the Cévennes mountains of southern France.Goat · Bloomy rind · Tangy and lactic

🇫🇷 FranceSainte-Maure de Touraine A soft-ripened goat's milk cheese from Touraine, aged with a straw through its center.Goat · Bloomy rind · Milky and fresh

🇫🇷 France and 1 moreTomme A low-fat alpine cheese from France and Switzerland, often made from skimmed milk.Cow · Semi-hard · Milky and fresh

🇫🇷 FranceSaint-PaulinSaint Paulin A semi-soft French cow's milk cheese with a washed orange rind and buttery flavour.Cow · Semi-soft · Buttery and creamy

🇫🇷 FranceSaint AgurSant Agur A soft, double-cream French blue cheese with olive-green veins and a mild spicy taste.Cow · Bloomy rind · Tangy and lactic

🇫🇷 FranceChevrotin A soft, washed-rind goat cheese from the Savoy Alps with a reddish rind.Goat · Bloomy rind · Tangy and lactic

🇫🇷 FranceChabichou A cylindrical French goat cheese with a natural rind, aged for two to three weeks.Goat · Semi-soft · Tangy and lactic

🇫🇷 FranceFaisselle A fresh, very soft French cheese strained in a faisselle mold, made from cow, goat, or sheep milk.Cow · Fresh · Milky and fresh

🇫🇷 FranceRigotte de Condrieu A small, soft goat cheese from the Lyonnaise region with a white mold rind.Goat · Bloomy rind · Tangy and lactic

🇨🇭 Switzerland and 1 moreVacherin Fribourgeois A Swiss semi-hard washed-rind cheese from the canton of Fribourg with a resiny taste.Cow · Semi-hard · Tangy and lactic

🇫🇷 FrancePerailPérail A soft ewes-milk cheese from Aveyron with a wrinkly ivory rind.Sheep · Bloomy rind · Tangy and lactic

🇫🇷 FranceDélice de Bourgogne A soft triple-cream cow's milk cheese from Burgundy with a bloomy rind.Cow · Bloomy rind · Tangy and lactic

🇫🇷 FranceChavroux A soft goat's milk cheese sold in small pyramid or cylinder containers.Goat · Bloomy rind · Tangy and lactic

🇫🇷 FranceCathareCatara A soft goat cheese from southern France with a charcoal-dusted rind marked by the Occitan cross.Goat · Bloomy rind · Tangy and lactic

🇫🇷 FranceTome fraîcheToma fresca A hard-pressed, unsalted cow's milk cheese from the Aubrac region of France.Cow · Hard · Milky and fresh 🇫🇷 FranceChabis A soft, white-moulded goat cheese from western France, often spiced.Goat · Bloomy rind · Tangy and lactic 🇫🇷 FranceBoursin A soft, herb-flecked French spread made from pasteurized cow's milk and cream.Cow · Fresh · Herbal and grassy

🇫🇷 FranceBrie de Melun A small, strong cow's-milk cheese from Seine-et-Marne with an AOC label.Cow · Bloomy rind · Tangy and lactic

🇫🇷 FranceFromager d'Affinois A hexagonal industrial soft cheese with a bloomy rind made in France.Mixed · Bloomy rind · Buttery and creamy

Photo credits on this page

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

Brie de Meaux: Coyau, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Brocciu: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Pélardon: Coyau, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Rocamadour: Myrabella, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Saint Agur: Micah Anderson, Public domain, source
Sainte-Maure de Touraine: Coyau, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Laguiole: Myrabella, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Rigotte de Condrieu: Coyau, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Tomme: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Faisselle: Véronique PAGNIER, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Perail: Benoît Prieur, CC0, source
Chabichou: Mark Baker, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Feta: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Tête de Moine: The original uploader was Stucki at French Wikipedia ., CC BY-SA 1.0, source
Fromager d'Affinois: Eugene Peretz, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Vacherin Fribourgeois: Tombat24, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Camembert: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Roquefort: Thesupermat, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Chevrotin: Benoît Prieur, CC0, source
Fourme d'Ambert: Coyau, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Picodon: Thesupermat, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Munster: Pierre-Yves Beaudouin, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Blue cheese: No machine-readable author provided. Brookie assumed (based on copyrig, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Selles-sur-Cher: Myrabella, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Gaperon: Pymouss, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Saint-Paulin: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Tome fraîche: Flblbl, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Délice de Bourgogne: Beprost, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Chavroux: Tangopaso, Public domain, source
Cathare: Paul Munhoven, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Brie de Melun: Thesupermat, CC BY-SA 4.0, source