French Cheese Types and History

It includes history of French Cheese and famous cheese in their regions. Various types and classification of French cheese are described and presented pictorially. How important is cheese in everyday French lifestyle is shown.

1. Presented By –
Souvik Chatterjee
Aparna Bhargava

2. Introduction OF FRENCH CHEESE
• Product made from curd of milk from cows or other animals through
coagulation of casein with enzyme, acid and with or without treatment with
heat, salt, and fermentation by micro organisms.

• There are more than 400 French cheese varieties listed in France. With
24.4kg of cheese eaten per person per year, the French are amongst the highest
consumers of cheese in the world.
Cheese is very common in French dietary habits :
 96% of French people eat cheese
 47% of French people eat cheese on a daily basis
 4% of French people never or seldom eat cheese

3. HistORY OF FRENCH CHEESE
It would be almost impossible to put a date on when cheese was first invented but its origins
are thought to date as far back to 8000 BC, or even earlier.

Cheese was invented by accident in Asia. It is believed that cheese was first made when the
nomadic tribes were transporting milk in animal skins and the fermentation, together with
the constant movement from travelling, churned the milk and turned it into cheese.

Cheese was first thought to have been introduced into France by the Romans, who perfected
the art of cheese making. It was first produced in the south and west of the country and soft
cheeses were initially preferred over hard cheese.

The taste of cheese varies from region to region in France and just as there are professional
wine tasters, there are also professional cheese tasters in France.

4. CHEESE IN French lifestyle
“The land of 400 cheeses”
“Un repas sans fromage comme un journée sans soleil.“
( Any meal without cheese in it is like a day without the sun in it.)

5. fromage français

6. Fromages frais (Fresh Cheese)

These cheese are white and contain a lot of water. They are
made from cow's milk, goat's milk, or sheep's. These are not the
types of French cheese you would see offered on a cheese
platter at a meal. Rather they are eaten separately, sometimes
in the same manner as a yogurt, and sometimes used in recipes.
CLASSIFICATION OF FRENCH CHEESE

7. Fromage à pâte molle (Soft Cheese)

These are soft cow's milk cheeses, which you will recognize by
their white, almost floury surface. They are aged about a month.
These include a lot of well known types of French cheese which
are often served in France after the main course.
CLASSIFICATION OF FRENCH CHEESE

8. Fromages à pâte pressée (Hard Cheese)

These types of French cheese are submitted to pressure during the
processing, which drains the cheese of some of its moisture. After
applying pressure, the cheeses are than placed in carefully controlled
conditions and aged for several months. During the aging, they are
washed, brushed and turned so that the rind forms in a uniform
fashion. You will find a large variety of pressed cheeses in the French
supermarket.

CLASSIFICATION OF FRENCH CHEESE

9. Fromages de chèvre (Goat Cheese)

There are so many goat cheese in France that French have given them
their own family. There are officially over a hundred varieties of goat
cheese in France.
Sometimes only goat’s milk is used to make cheese and sometimes its
mixed with cows milk in variety of proportions to make cheese. Goat's
milk cheese is fun - it comes in a wide variety of shapes and sizes and
sometimes special little boxes.


CLASSIFICATION OF FRENCH CHEESE

10. Fromages Bleu(Blue Cheese)

These types of French cheese are easily recognized by the channels of
blue or greenish-blue that run throughout them. They are mostly
made from cow's milk with the notable exception of Roquefort, which
is made from sheep's milk.
Blue cheeses are ripened a long time and have a strong flavor and
smell. They make a great cheese to offer as part of a cheese platter
after the main course.


CLASSIFICATION OF FRENCH CHEESE

11. Fromages à pâte fondue (Processed Cheese)

These types of French cheese are made from other cheeses
blended together. They are usually sold in small portions and
can be flavored with various things, such as garlic, pepper, and
herbs. They are meant to be spread, and you might even catch a
Frenchman eating this cheese as an appetizer!


CLASSIFICATION OF FRENCH CHEESE