馃嚝馃嚪 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.
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 towns and markets of France
馃嚝馃嚪 FranceCamembert
A soft-ripened cow's milk cheese from Normandy with a white mould rindCow 路 Bloomy rind 路 Earthy and cellar
馃嚝馃嚪 France and 3 moreBrie
A soft, pale French cow's-milk cheese with a white mould rind, aged for about five weeks.Cow 路 Bloomy rind 路 Nutty
馃嚝馃嚪 FranceBaguette laonnaise
A soft, washed-rind cow's milk cheese from northern France shaped like a small loaf.Cow 路 Washed rind 路 Savoury and brothy
馃嚝馃嚪 France and 2 moreBlue cheese
A family of cheeses defined by blue-green mold veins created through deliberate inoculation and piercing.Cow 路 Semi-soft 路 Sharp and tangy-aged
馃嚝馃嚪 France and 1 moreMunsterMunster-g茅rom茅
A washed-rind cow's-milk cheese from the Vosges mountains of eastern France.Cow 路 Bloomy rind 路 Pungent and funky
馃嚚馃嚟 Switzerland and 1 moreT锚te de Moine
A semi-hard Swiss cow's milk cheese shaved into rosettes with a special tool.Cow 路 Semi-hard 路 Savoury and brothy
馃嚝馃嚪 FranceFourme d'AmbertForma d'Emb猫rt
A narrow cylindrical blue cheese from the Auvergne region of France.Cow 路 Semi-hard 路 Savoury and brothy
馃嚝馃嚪 FranceLaguioleLa Gui貌la
A semi-hard pressed cow's milk cheese from the Aubrac plateau in southern France.Cow 路 Semi-hard 路 Nutty
馃嚝馃嚪 FranceGaperon
A dome-shaped Auvergne cheese with a white mold rind and garlic-pepper filling.Cow 路 Bloomy rind 路 Buttery and creamy
馃嚝馃嚪 France and 1 moreTomme
A low-fat alpine cheese from France and Switzerland, often made from skimmed milk.Cow 路 Semi-hard 路 Milky and fresh
馃嚝馃嚪 FranceSaint AgurSant Agur
A soft, double-cream French blue cheese with olive-green veins and a mild spicy taste.Cow 路 Bloomy rind 路 Tangy and lactic
馃嚝馃嚪 FranceSaint-PaulinSaint Paulin
A semi-soft French cow's milk cheese with a washed orange rind and buttery flavour.Cow 路 Semi-soft 路 Buttery and creamy
馃嚝馃嚪 FranceFaisselle
A fresh, very soft French cheese strained in a faisselle mold, made from cow, goat, or sheep milk.Cow 路 Fresh 路 Milky and fresh
馃嚚馃嚟 Switzerland and 1 moreVacherin Fribourgeois
A Swiss semi-hard washed-rind cheese from the canton of Fribourg with a resiny taste.Cow 路 Semi-hard 路 Tangy and lactic
馃嚝馃嚪 FranceD茅lice de Bourgogne
A soft triple-cream cow's milk cheese from Burgundy with a bloomy rind.Cow 路 Bloomy rind 路 Tangy and lactic
馃嚝馃嚪 FranceTome fra卯cheToma fresca
A hard-pressed, unsalted cow's milk cheese from the Aubrac region of France.Cow 路 Hard 路 Milky and fresh
馃嚝馃嚪 FranceBoursin
A soft, herb-flecked French spread made from pasteurized cow's milk and cream.Cow 路 Fresh 路 Herbal and grassy
馃嚝馃嚪 FranceBrie de Melun
A small, strong cow's-milk cheese from Seine-et-Marne with an AOC label.Cow 路 Bloomy rind 路 Tangy and lactic
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
- Saint Agur: Micah Anderson, Public domain, source
- Laguiole: Myrabella, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Tomme: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Faisselle: V茅ronique PAGNIER, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- T锚te de Moine: The original uploader was Stucki at French Wikipedia ., CC BY-SA 1.0, source
- Vacherin Fribourgeois: Tombat24, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Camembert: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Fourme d'Ambert: Coyau, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Gaperon: Pymouss, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Danish Blue: No machine-readable author provided. Brookie assumed (based on copyrig, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Saint-Paulin: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Tome fra卯che: Flblbl, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- D茅lice de Bourgogne: Beprost, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Brie de Melun: Thesupermat, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Munster: Pierre-Yves Beaudouin, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
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.