French cheeses and their kinds. Top 10 French cheeses

Cheeses are the pride of France. They are known all over the world, because they have unsurpassed taste and aroma.

In French, the word "cheese" sounds like "lefromage" (or in the original - le fromage). It is believed that it comes from a distorted "form", that is, "formation" or "forming". And it's no accident. After all, the layout of the curd mass, which is formed as a result of the coagulation of milk, into molds is a very important step in the production of real cheese.

For today in France it is made more than 500 kinds of this dairy product. And each of them is unique in its kind. French cheeses can be soft or hard, young or mature, covered with hard crust or mold, from milk of goats or cows.

However, experts are surprised not only by the diversity of the types of this product, but also by the incredible number of its forms. Thus, the French cheeses, photos of which are presented in this article, are issued in the form of circles, disks, rectangles, drums, squares, standing and lying cylinders, ingots, cones, hearts and triangles.

Why is this product not produced in one single form? The fact is that all French cheeses have their own personal history, life and even character. For example, such cheeses as Bree and Camembert are always made in the form of a disk. It is in this form that the product ripens evenly and turns out to be very tasty.

Features of names

All French cheeses have not only their character and individual history, but also a unique name. Each product is marked with AOC. It means that this variety owns Appellation d'origine contrôlée, that is, an Aboriginal controlled name, which can be assigned only to those cheeses that meet all the requirements of the current legislation.

Thus, any sort of French cheese should be produced only from quality raw materials, that is milk. Moreover, the whole process of making a product must strictly correspond to local established recipes and traditions.

Cheese, which has a corresponding French name, can be produced only in the region of France, where it was prepared historically.

The first AOC label was given to Roquefort cheese in 1925, and the last to cheese Rigott de Condre in 2009.

Classification

In each state there is a classification of cheeses with its own system and terminology. But most of this product can be easily identified in groups, based only on its structure, types of crusts and the principle of formation, on which the amount of moisture in the cheese (or the so-called serum) depends.

Based on this system, cheeses from France can be divided into such types as:

• Fresh;
• Fresh seasoned;
• Soft white;
• Semi-soft;
• Solid;
• Blue;
• Flavored.

One can not help saying that a recipe of French cheese can include either cow's, goat's or sheep's milk. In addition, this product can be produced on private farms or in an industrial way.

Fresh Cheeses

To understand what differences have these or other types of French cheeses, you should consider them in detail.

Fresh cheeses are quite easy to distinguish from other varieties. After all, they have a white and shiny surface. Such a product does not have a crust. As a rule, it is ready for use in a few days or even hours after manufacturing.

Fresh cheeses barely have time to show the flavor of the raw materials used in them. Their taste is usually described as sweet, milky, sour or refreshing.

French soft cheese Boulette de Cambre belongs to fresh cheese. It is characterized by a high moisture content. Due to this, it becomes soft. It is made from cow's milk with the addition of parsley, tarragon, chives and other herbs.

The consistency of fresh cheeses can be loose, friable or fibrous. However, often such a product is made in a solid form and resembles a butter.

Use fresh cheese by spreading on crispy bread. In addition to it, a light fruit wine is presented.

Aged fresh cheeses

Unlike fresh cheeses, this species ripened and dried in cellars with a special regime of humidity and temperature or in special chambers. As a result of this treatment, the product is covered with a crust of yeast fungi and mold.

The most famous representatives of this species are the cheeses produced in the valley of the river Loire. As a rule, they are made from goat's milk with the addition of fragrant herbs and spices. Such cheeses are wrapped in chestnut or grape leaves, on the surface of which mold is formed.

Traditional French goat cheese Saint-Maur de Touren is a classic of cheese making. Its surface, sprinkled with ashes, is covered with fluffy white mold, as well as spots of yellow, pink and gray pigments. In the process of growth, the snow-white mass becomes more dense. Over time, the lemon taste inherent in this product, acquires a light nutty shade.

White soft cheeses

Cheeses of this type are covered with a white crust and have a consistency from granular to almost liquid. They have an unrivaled mushroom flavor. A more delicate variety of French cheese has a light hue of young mushrooms and hay, and a harder and more sustained resembles a cream soup made from forest mushrooms, with a barely perceptible bitterness of dandelion.

Such a product is produced from goat, cow or sheep's milk. In addition, often white cheese makes from the milk of camels or buffalo, which, undoubtedly, determines their color.

The crust of this kind of cheese can be as brittle, thin and covered with white mold, and thick, velvety. These factors depend on the exposure of the product and the choice of raw materials.

A young French cheese with white mold has a consistency of chalk. Although with age, it becomes creamy.

The brightest representative of soft white cheese is Camembert de Normandy. It is customary to serve with elegant red wine "Cote du Rhone".

Semi-soft cheeses

Such types of cheeses differ considerably from each other in consistency and externally. They are divided into two groups:

1. Cheeses with a dry crust, slowly ripening. Their consistency varies from elastic with a delicately nutty sweet taste and a thin crust to firm tapered ones with an acute floral taste and a "leathery" crust.
2. Cheeses with a sticky orange crust. They have a fairly mild consistency. The taste of such a product is sharp and spicy, with notes of smoke.

A bright representative of semi-soft cheeses is Gaperon. It is produced in Auvergne from cow's milk. A small hemispherical head of this product weighs approximately 400 g. The happeron has an elastic pulp and a dry hard crust. In the process of making, pepper and garlic are added to it, which gives the product a vivid taste. In view of the fact that the cheese is hung from the fire to mature, it acquires distinct notes of smoke.

Hard French cheese

Large heads of hard cheese in the form of a large wheel, drum or cylinder are found in almost all countries where cheese production is developed. As a rule, they are made from goat, sheep or cow's milk. The crust of such a product can be as shiny and smooth as it is rough. As the maturation of the aroma and taste of hard cheeses acquires a complex character. Moreover, a product with a very long maturity becomes grainy and even crunchy.

Representative of hard sorts of cheese is Conte. This is a delicacy of French cuisine. It is produced in the Franche-Comté region, which is in the east of the country. After manufacturing, many farmers send this cheese to aging in large dairy companies. In the basement he ripens for two years.

The taste of hard cheese depends on the period of its aging. A fully matured product may have a sharp taste. As for the young cheese, it remains soft, milky and nutty.

Blue French Cheese

Blue mold belongs to penicillins. Unlike white, it does not develop outside, but inside cheese.

Thanks to the blue mold, a huge amount of cheese is created. Most of them are wrapped in foil, which helps maintain a moist and sticky crust.

Despite the variety of blue cheeses, they all have a sharp and spicy taste, and also have light metallic notes. The content of salt in such varieties is much higher than in others. The blue mold present in them gives the product not only an unusual color, but also a strong aroma.

In the section, cheeses with a moist crust have irregular cavities and veins of mold. As for varieties with a hard crust, they are more dense.

The most striking representative of blue cheeses is Roquefort. His homeland is the Southern Pyrenees. In their caves, he ripens.

According to the legend, this product appeared about two thousand years ago. Carried away by his beloved, the shepherd left his dinner in the form of a slice of bread and a piece of cheese in a cave. About him, he remembered only a few days. Upon returning, the shepherd discovered that green mold appeared inside the cheese.

Currently, Roquefort is produced in volume of more than 18 thousand tons per year and is exported to almost all countries of the world.

Sliced cheese is used with bread, add it to sauces, sprinkle with salads and pasta. As a rule, it is served with soterne or port. Often, he is presented with dessert wines. Their sweetish taste hides a sharp and salty taste of cheese, as a result of which comes the aroma of sheep's milk.

Cheese, flavored

In the 16th century, Dutch cheese makers began adding spices to their cheeses. This they created an unusual mixture of bizarre fragrances. French flavored cheeses that are made today are popular semi-soft and hard varieties, in which fragrant herbs, fruits and other spices were also added.

The brightest representative of flavored cheese is Boulette d'Aven. To make it, the producers apply a fresh sediment of cheese Mara. It is kneaded together with tarragon, parsley, pepper and cloves. After that, the product is formed manually, as well as tinted with natural dye of Annato and sprinkled with paprika. By the way, it is the latter spice that gives the cheese a sharp taste.

Top 10 French cheeses

The recipe for French cheese can include completely different raw materials and additives. They determine its taste, color and aroma. The combination of these or other ingredients allows you to produce an incredible number of different types of cheese than, in fact, and are engaged in cheesemaking.

It should be noted that the people of France have long formed their personal preferences for the presented product. In this regard, we decided to introduce you to the top 10 French cheeses. In this rating there is all the cheese classics, which should be surely tasted to everyone.

First place - Camembert

This French cheese from cow's milk is, perhaps, the best. It is universal, in connection with which it enjoys incredible popularity among fans of this product.

Simplicity of manufacture in aggregate with relative cheapness and fine taste deduces a cheese Camembert on the first place of a rating.

The third place is goat cheese, or Le chèvre

French goat cheese takes an honorable second place. After all, it has a very bright and pronounced taste. This product is ideal for summer toasts and salads. Moreover, it is well baked and perfectly combined with a wide variety of wines.

Third place - Brebe Basque, or Basque sheep cheese

This is a hard cheese, for the preparation of which is used exclusively sheep's milk. It is rather fatty, has a pleasant consistency, taste and aroma.

Fourth place - Comte

This is a solid French cheese, which got its name from the region where it is produced (Franche-Comté). Cows, the milk which is used to make this product, graze at an altitude of more than 400 meters above sea level. Do it in small numbers on cooperative village cheese shops. The technology of production of such cheese remains unchanged for several centuries.

Conte melts perfectly, so it is often used to make delicious dishes of French cuisine (various types of soups and pies, fondue, salads, sauces, etc.). Its fruity shade and creamy flesh perfectly blend with white meat, fish and dry wines.

The fifth place - grated Emmental

This cheese began to enjoy great popularity not only because of its unusual flavor and taste, but also because of the form in which it goes on sale. After all, modern housewives do not want to spoil their manicure, to grate cheese and sprinkle eggs, pasta or omelet. That's why grated Emmental was placed on the fifth place ranking the most delicious and popular French cheeses.

Sixth place - St. Necker

This is a French cheese made from cow's milk, which ripens for 5-8 weeks. To make it, use a rancid sourdough. Its flesh is very tender and elastic. Cheese has a yellowish color, as well as the taste of hazelnuts, salt, mushrooms and spices.

Typically, such a product goes on sale in the form of a flat cylinder, which has a diameter of 21 cm and a weight of 1.7 kg. All the Saint-Nectar cheese is covered with a hardened crust.

Seventh Place - Cantal

This is a hard cheese that is native to central France, to be exact, the Auvergne region. At its manufacture very old recipes and technologies are used. The status of the AOS has been in existence since 1956. This product is produced both at local dairies and on private farms.

The taste of Cantal cheese directly depends on the period of its aging. For example, a fully matured product has a rather sharp taste. As for the young cheese, it is very soft, has a nutty and milky flavor.

Such a product requires proper maintenance. To him, only Burgundy wine is presented.

Eighth place - Emmental

This product has a spicy and sweet taste with a characteristic piquancy. In the section of this cheese, large cavities are visible. Their presence is explained by the manufacturing process, as a result of which bacteria release carbon dioxide. In some countries it is called Swiss, since it was in this state that it was produced first.

In combination with cheese such as Gruyer, Emmental is used to make fondue.

Ninth place - Reblyashon

This is a French soft cheese made from cow's unpasteurized milk in the Savoy region, which lies at the foot of the Alps. This product has a so-called washed-up crust. After all, after pressing it is thoroughly washed in brine.

Initially, Rebloschon was made in the valleys of Arly and Ton. Its name comes from the verb reblocher, which in French means "milk the cow again." According to legend, in the 16th century peasants paid a tax, which depended on the amount of milk milk. To reduce the tribute, in the presence of officials, cows were not milking. But after the tax collectors left, this process was repeated. It was from this milk that the peasants made the magnificent Reblyashon cheese.

This product is made in the form of a circle that ripens for 2-4 weeks. The finished cheese has an orange crust with a white thin coating and a sweetish flesh.

Tenth place - Roquefort

It's blue French cheese with mildew. It is ideal for making salads from fresh vegetables. In addition, this product is served with toast and white wine. Produce it from sheep's pasteurized milk. After a long exposure, the cheese acquires a taste of hazelnuts.

Now you know what a dozen cheeses are most popular among the French. But besides the listed varieties, I would like to introduce others. If our rating was 11th place, then it would without doubt be occupied by the French soft goat cheese Saint-Maur-de-Turen, which has a salty-sour taste and nutty flavor. It ripens from 10 days to 6 weeks.

In addition, I want to highlight a French soft goat cheese called Shabishu du Poitou. It has a specific smell of milk and a strong nutty aroma.

A popular French cheese with an unpleasant odor

Vieux Boulogne is the most smelly French cheese that is produced in the city of Boulogne-sur-Mer in Nord-Pas-de-Calais. It is made on the basis of unpasteurized cow's milk and ripens for 7-9 weeks. The head of this product has a square shape.

The cheese of Vieux Boulogne is known all over the world for its strong smell. In the fall of 2004, the specialists at the University of Cranfield gave him the status of "the most smelly cheese".