| If there is one group of people in this world who | | | | is the most produced cheese in France and has |
| love their cheese, it's the French. If you are new | | | | an annual production of more than 40 Kilo tones. |
| to French cuisine it may come as surprise that | | | | Usually made in copper vats the production |
| there are well over 400 varieties of French | | | | technique still in use is since the 12th century AD. |
| cheeses. They vary in color, texture and flavor | | | | The cheese is made in circular discs and has a |
| and are made in different regions throughout | | | | creamy center with a light brown rind. The |
| France using milk from different farm animals. | | | | cheese is mainly made from unpasteurized cow |
| Many French cheeses are named after the areas | | | | milk and the texture is very creamy. |
| they are produced. Some of the best known | | | | In addition to cow milk there quite a few cheeses |
| cheeses are Brie, Roquefort, Chevre, Munster, | | | | made with milk from sheep. Ossau-iraty is one |
| and Camembert. | | | | such variety which is made from Sheep milk. The |
| In addition to the different areas the cheese is | | | | production happens mainly in the south west of |
| produced there are differences in the production | | | | France known as the northern Basque Country |
| techniques. Normal farm house production in which | | | | and the Bearn regions. Ossau-iraty is one of the |
| cheese is produced on the farms where the milk | | | | two varieties of sheep milk cheese made in |
| gets produced is called the Fremier variety of | | | | France. It is made without the application of heat |
| cheese. Artisanal cheese is produced using milk | | | | and mainly done using pressing. |
| purchased from nearby areas using traditional | | | | Banon is a variety of French cheese that comes |
| methods. Cooperative cheese production is when | | | | from mostly goat milk but also contains a small |
| local people or local dairy farms have joined | | | | amount of cow milk. Produced in the town of |
| together to produce their cheese as a unit. | | | | Banon in south east France, it comes in smaller |
| Different kinds of milk will produce noticeable | | | | packages and has a strong taste. |
| differences in flavor and texture in the cheese. | | | | Charouce is another French cheese that is not as |
| Typically cow milk is the common choice for | | | | well known as others and also gets its name from |
| producing cheese. Langres which is a very soft | | | | the village where it is produced in the Champagne |
| variety, where the rind is not very thick. Typically | | | | region and is similar in taste to Camembert. The |
| eaten the year around, the best time is from | | | | center of the cheese is light creamy and the rind |
| March to December. The central part of the | | | | is made form penicillium candidum. |
| cheese is soft and the external rind is made from | | | | Don't take my word for it. Taste for yourself. |
| penicillium candidum. | | | | The best way to learn more about French |
| Comte is a well known French cheese that gets | | | | Cheeses is to attend a tasting at your local |
| its name from where it is made in the eastern | | | | gourmet food store. |
| regions of France known as Franche-Comte. This | | | | |