French Cheese

The advent of hypermarkets and supermarkets has seen the reduction, through product rationalisation and mass pasteurisation production, of the number of cheeses available throughout France. General De Gaulle's statement Nobody can simply bring together a country that has 265 kinds of cheese no longer holds true. at least as far as the number of cheeses are concerned. The range is, however, still impressive. All mass-market retailers have a chilled, pre-packed, off-the-shelf selection, and most also have a cut-to-order (au détail) counter, and you will certainly find hard, soft and creamy cheeses that have not yet found their way to the UK. If old habits die hard and you still eat cheese in France at the end of the meal as well as before dessert, like everyone else, you will be thoroughly spoilt. Look out for fat content on the packaging (% matière grasse or simply% MG).

Traditional cheese shops (fromageries) selling just dairy products are now scarce, although you will find them in touristy villages and towns where the locally produced cheeses have earned their reputations through pungent taste or smells. If your French is adequate and there is a major library nearby, consult a facsimile copy of Brillat-Savarin's book La Physiologie du Gout (published 1826), a gastronomic bible which still holds good and lists the main cheeses of France and the best wines to drink with them. Some of the main French cheeses and their textures are listed below:

• Brie: soft;
• Camembert: soft;
• Cantal: hard;
• Comté: hard, like Gruyère;
• Fondu: soft;
• Munster: very strong, soft;
• Reblochon: semi-hard, strong;
• Roquefort: similar to Stilton;
• Tomme de Savoie, semi-hard;
• Vacherin: semi-soft, creamy.