🇫🇷 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 towns and markets of France
Normandy 5Savoie 5Auvergne 4Aveyron 4Cantal 3Aquitaine 2Aubrac 2Corsica 2Époisses 2Franche-Comté 2Haut-Doubs 2Jura 2Meaux 2Melun 2Midi-Pyrénées 2Nouvelle-Aquitaine 2Périgord 2Quercy 2Seine-et-Marne 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 1Haute-Savoie 1Indre-et-Loire 1Isère 1Isigny-sur-Mer 1Jura Mountains 1Lajoux 1Langres 1Languedoc-Roussillon 1Laon 1Le Grand-Abergement 1Les Moussières 1Lille 1Limagne 1Limousin 1Livarot 1Loches 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
🇫🇷 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
🇫🇷 FranceRoule cheese
A soft, herb and garlic flavoured cow's milk cheese rolled into a spiral shape.Cow · Bloomy rind · Herbal and grassy
🇫🇷 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 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
🇫🇷 FranceLivarot
A soft Normandy cow's-milk cheese with a pungent orange rind wrapped in reed bands.Cow · Bloomy rind · Pungent and funky
🇫🇷 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
🇫🇷 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
🇫🇷 FranceLangres
A washed-rind cow's milk cheese from the Langres plateau in France.Cow · Bloomy rind · Savoury and brothy
🇫🇷 FranceChaource
A soft-ripened cow's-milk cheese from north-eastern France with a white mould rind.Cow · Bloomy rind · Salty
🇫🇷 FranceCoulommiers
A soft cow's-milk cheese with a bloomy rind from the Seine-et-Marne department of France.Cow · Bloomy rind · Nutty
🇫🇷 FranceRocamadourRòcamador
A small, soft goat's-milk cheese from southwest France with a protected status.Goat · Bloomy rind · Milky and fresh
🇫🇷 FrancePouligny-Saint-Pierre
A pyramidal goat cheese from central France with a mouldy rind and crumbly white paste.Goat · Bloomy rind · Salty
🇫🇷 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 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
🇫🇷 FranceBrie de Meaux
A soft-ripened cow's milk cheese with a white rind from the Brie region of France.Cow · 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
🇫🇷 FranceSaint-Marcellin
A small, soft cow's-milk cheese from Isère with a creamy interior and bloomy rind.Cow · Bloomy rind
🇫🇷 FranceCabécou
A small, soft French goat cheese with a bloomy rind and mild lactic taste.Goat · Bloomy rind
🇫🇷 FranceAbbaye de Tamié
A soft cow's-milk cheese aged in the cellars of a Savoyard abbey by monks.Cow · Bloomy rind · Milky and fresh
🇫🇷 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
🇫🇷 FranceRigotte de Condrieu
A small, soft goat cheese from the Lyonnaise region with a white mold rind.Goat · Bloomy rind · Tangy and lactic
🇫🇷 FranceChaumesPalhas
A soft, washed-rind cow's milk cheese from the Périgord with a tangerine-orange rind.Cow · Bloomy rind · Savoury and brothy
🇫🇷 FranceSaint Albray
A soft cow's-milk cheese from France with a flower-shaped rind and hollow center.Cow · Bloomy rind · Milky and fresh
🇫🇷 FranceVieux-Boulogne
A soft, beer-washed cow's milk cheese from northern France known for its intense aroma.Cow · Bloomy rind · Salty
🇫🇷 FranceSaint-Félicien
A creamy cow's milk cheese from France with a flower-patterned rindCow · Bloomy rind · Milky and fresh
🇫🇷 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
🇫🇷 FranceMottin charentais
A cylindrical French soft cheese made from pasteurized cow's milk with a creamy taste.Cow · Bloomy rind · Buttery and creamy
🇫🇷 FranceChavroux
A soft goat's milk cheese sold in small pyramid or cylinder containers.Goat · Bloomy rind · Tangy and lactic
🇫🇷 FranceCharolais
A soft, natural-rind goat cheese from Burgundy with an AOC and PDO status.Goat · Bloomy rind · Nutty
🇫🇷 FranceCathareCatara
A soft goat cheese from southern France with a charcoal-dusted rind marked by the Occitan cross.Goat · Bloomy rind · Tangy and lactic
🇫🇷 FranceExplorateur
A soft-ripened triple cream cow's milk cheese from France with a squat cylindrical shape.Cow · Bloomy rind · Buttery and creamy
🇫🇷 FranceTrou du Cru
A pungent washed-rind cow's milk cheese from Burgundy, aged with local brandy.Cow · Bloomy rind · Pungent and funky
🇫🇷 FranceChabis
A soft, white-moulded goat cheese from western France, often spiced.Goat · Bloomy rind · Tangy and lactic
🇫🇷 FranceCouronne lochoise
A soft, ash-coated goat cheese from the Loire Valley shaped like a ring.Goat · Bloomy rind · Buttery and creamy
🇫🇷 FranceCazelle de Saint AffriqueCazelle de Sant Afric
A soft, pungent sheep's milk cheese from the Aveyron department of France.Sheep · Bloomy rind · Nutty
🇫🇷 FranceBucheronBûcheron
A semi-aged goat's milk cheese from France shaped like a short log with a white rind.Goat · Bloomy rind · Sharp and tangy-aged
🇫🇷 FranceBoursin
A soft, herb-flecked French spread made from pasteurized cow's milk and cream.Cow · Fresh · Herbal and grassy
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Charolais: Jackydarne, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Brie de Meaux: Coyau, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Coulommiers: Myrabella, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Pélardon: Coyau, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Époisses: Coyau, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Pont-l'Évêque: Coyau, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- French Neufchâtel: Coyau, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Rocamadour: Myrabella, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Cabécou: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Crottin de Chavignol: Coyau, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Saint-Marcellin: Thesupermat, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Saint Agur: Micah Anderson, Public domain, source
- Pouligny-Saint-Pierre: Coyau, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Vacherin Mont d'Or: Zubro, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Sainte-Maure de Touraine: Coyau, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Rigotte de Condrieu: Coyau, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Saint Albray: Lyokoï88, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Perail: Benoît Prieur, CC0, source
- Chabichou: Mark Baker, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Chaumes: Robin dubois, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Feta: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Reblochon: Pierre-Yves Beaudouin, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Camembert: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Chevrotin: Benoît Prieur, CC0, source
- Livarot: Coyau, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Langres: Myrabella, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Picodon: Thesupermat, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Munster: Pierre-Yves Beaudouin, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Chaource: Coyau, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Selles-sur-Cher: Myrabella, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Gaperon: Pymouss, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Trou du Cru: Tristan Ferne, CC BY 2.0, source
- Abbaye de Tamié: Tangopaso, Public domain, source
- Saint-Félicien: Coyau, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Mottin charentais: Cobber17, CC BY 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
- Couronne lochoise: Thomon, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Bucheron: Quinn Dombrowski, CC BY-SA 2.0, 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.