This is a list of French cheeses documenting the varieties of cheeses, a milk-based food that is produced in wide-ranging flavors, textures, and forms, which are found in

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

. In 1962, French President Charles de Gaulle asked, "How can you govern a country which has two hundred and forty-six varieties of cheese?" There is immense diversity within each variety of cheese, leading some to estimate between 1,000 and 1,600 distinct types of French cheese. French cheeses are broadly grouped into eight categories, 'les huit familles de fromage'.

Protected designation of origin

Under the

Common Agricultural Policy The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is the agricultural policy of the European Union. It implements a system of agricultural subsidies and other programmes. It was introduced in 1962 and has since then undergone several changes to reduce the ...

of the

European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been de ...

, certain established cheeses, including many French varieties, are covered by a protected designation of origin (PDO), and other, less stringent, designations of geographical origin for traditional specialities, such as the EU Protected Geographical Indication. The systems has largely replaced national systems, such as the French

appellation d'origine contrôlée An appellation is a legally defined and protected geographical indication primarily used to identify where the grapes for a wine were grown, although other types of food often have appellations as well. Restrictions other than geographical bou ...

(AOC) system, as any cheese registered as a PDO or PGI can not use the designation AOC anymore in order to avoid confusion. French cheese production is classified under four categories, and PDO/PGI/(AOC) rules dictate which category or categories each protected cheese may be assigned to: * Fermier: farmhouse cheese, which is produced on the farm where the milk is produced. * Artisanal: producer producing cheese in relatively small quantities using milk from their own farm, but may also purchase milk from local farms. * Coopérative: dairy with local milk producers in an area that have joined to produce cheese. In larger ''coopératives'' quantities of cheese produced may be relatively large, akin to some ''industriel'' producers (many may be classed as factory-made). *Industriel: factory-made cheese from milk sourced locally or regionally, perhaps all over France (depending on the AOC/PDO regulations for specific cheeses). Some cheeses are classified, protected, and regulated under French law. The majority are classified as ''Appellation d'origine contrôlée'' (AOC), the highest level of protection. Some are also protected under the less stringent but still legally regulated designation Label Régional (LR). A few French cheeses are protected under the European Union's Protected Geographic Indication designation (PGI). Many familiar generic types, like Boursin, are not covered, while others originally from other countries, such as

Emmental cheese Emmental, Emmentaler, or Emmenthal is a yellow, medium-hard cheese that originated in the area around Emmental, in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. It is classified as a Swiss-type or Alpine cheese. Emmental was first mentioned in written rec ...

, may have certain varieties protected as a French cheese. This list differs from those of

AOC Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (; ; born October 13, 1989), also known by her initials AOC, is an American politician and activist. She has served as the U.S. representative for New York's 14th congressional district since 2019, as a member of ...

status.

Other cheeses

* Abbaye de Belloc * Abbaye de Tamié * Abbaye de Timadeuc Cheese * Affidélice *

Autun Autun () is a subprefecture of the Saône-et-Loire department in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region of central-eastern France. It was founded during the Principate era of the early Roman Empire by Emperor Augustus as Augustodunum to give a Ro ...

* Avalin *

Babybel Mini Babybel () is a brand of small snack cheese products that are individually packaged and available in various flavours. It is a product of Le Groupe Bel (), a company with roots in the Jura region of France, started by Jules Bel in 1865. ...

* Baguette laonnaise * Bilou *

Bleu de Bresse Bleu de Bresse () is a blue cheese that was first made in the Bresse area of France following World War II. Made from whole milk, it has a firm, edible coating which is characteristically white in color and has an aroma of mushrooms. Its creamy ...

* Bleu de Termignon * Bon Grivois * Boulette d'Avesnes * Boursin cheese *

Brie Brie (; ) is a soft cow's-milk cheese named after Brie, the French region from which it originated (roughly corresponding to the modern ''département'' of Seine-et-Marne). It is pale in color with a slight grayish tinge under a rind of white mo ...

Noir (Black Brie) * Brillat-Savarin * Broccio Passu *

Bucheron Bûcheron (sometimes Boucheron, Bucherone, Boucherond, or Bucherondin) is a goat's milk cheese native to the Loire Valley in France. Semi-aged, ripening for 5 to 10 weeks, Bucheron is produced as short logs that weigh that are sliced and sold ...

Cabécou Cabécou is a soft goat cheese that comes from the Midi-Pyrénées region of southern France. It has a thin striped rind and after two weeks its crust grows blue mold changing its taste. It is one of Aquitaine's most famous foods. Aquitaine is a ...

* Cabrinu * Cabriou * Cachaille * Cacouyard * Callebasse *

Cancoillotte ''Cancoillotte'' or ''cancoyotte'' is a runny French cheese made from metton cheese, and produced principally in Franche-Comté, but also Lorraine and Luxembourg, where it is also called ''Kachkéis'' or ''Kochkäse'' in German (cooked cheese). I ...

* Canut * Carré de l'Est * Cathare * Chamois d'or * Chaource *

Chatou Chatou () is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France. Chatou is a part of the affluent suburbs of western Paris and is on the northwest side of the Seine river about from the city's center. Hi ...

* Chaubier * Chaumes * Coulommiers *

Coutances Coutances () is a commune in the Manche department in Normandy in north-western France. History Capital of the Unelli, a Gaulish tribe, the town was given the name of ''Constantia'' in 298 during the reign of Roman emperor Constantius Chloru ...

Délice de Bourgogne Délice de Bourgogne is a French cow's milk cheese from the Burgundy region of France. It was first created in 1975 by Jean Lincet at Fromagerie Lincet. It is a ''soft-ripened triple-cream cheese''. The creamy texture results from the extra cream ...

* Délice du Calvados *

Doux de Montagne Doux may refer to: * Doux, Ardennes, a French commune in the Ardennes department * Doux, Deux-Sèvres, a French commune in the Deux-Sèvres department * Doux (river), a tributary of the Rhône in southern France * Doux (wine), a variety of sparklin ...

* Ecorce de sapin *

Édel de Cléron Édel de Cléron is a traditional French cheese of relatively recent origin which carries the name of the village where it is made, Cléron, in the valley of the Loue of the Doubs department in Franche-Comté. * By its taste, form and texture, i ...

* Epenouse * Explorateur * Faisselle * Fédou * Feuille de Dreux * Feuille du Limousin * Ficello * Figou *

Fromage blanc ''Fromage blanc'' (; ; also known as ''maquée'') is a fresh cheese originating from the north of France and southern Belgium. The name means "white cheese" in French. ''Fromage frais'' ("fresh cheese") differs from ''fromage blanc'' in that, acc ...

Fromage frais ''Fromage blanc'' (; ; also known as ''maquée'') is a fresh cheese originating from the north of France and southern Belgium. The name means "white cheese" in French. ''Fromage frais'' ("fresh cheese") differs from ''fromage blanc'' in that, acc ...

* Fromager d'Affinois * Fougerus * Foudjou * Fourme d’Asco * Fourme de Cantal * Gaperon * La Vache qui Rit * Lavort * Mamirollais *

Mamirolle Mamirolle () is a commune in the Doubs department in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region in eastern France. Geography The commune lies southeast of Besançon on the first plateau of the Jura mountains. It is situated at the foot of a wooded h ...

* Metton *

Mont des Cats Mont des Cats is a small hill (alt. 164m) near the town of Godewaersvelde, France. Located in the Nord department, its Flemish name is Katsberg. The hill is seat of the Mont des Cats abbey, famous for its cheese produced by monks since 1890. Ato ...

* * Mousseron * Niolo * Olivet cendré * Ortolan * Pavin * Perail * Pérassu *

Port Salut Port Salut is a semi-soft pasteurised cow's milk cheese from Pays de la Loire, France, with a distinctive orange rind and a mild flavour. The cheese is produced in wheels approximately 23 cm (9 inches) in diameter, weighing approxi ...

Raclette Raclette (, ) is a Swiss dish, also popular in the other Alpine countries, based on heating cheese and scraping off the melted part, then typically served with boiled potatoes. Raclette cheese is historically a dish originating from the canton o ...

* Rochebarron * Roucoulons * Roue de Brielove * Saint Agur * Saint Albray * Saint-André * Saint-Paulin * Saint-Rémy * Spinosien * Tarentais * Tomme au Fenouil * Tomme Boudane * Tomme Butone * Tomme de Lévéjac * Tomme du Jura * Tomme du Revard *

Toucy Toucy () is a commune in the Yonne department in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté in north-central France, in the historical region of Puisaye. Personalities Toucy was the birthplace and hometown of Pierre Larousse, lexicographer and founder of the publ ...

* Tourrée de l'aubier * Tracle * Trèfle *

Tricorne de Marans The tricorne or tricorn is a style of hat that was popular during the 18th century, falling out of style by 1800, though actually not called a "tricorne" until the mid-19th century. During the 18th century, hats of this general style were referr ...

* Trinqueux * U Muntagnolu * Vallé d'Ossau *

Velay Velay () is a historical area of France situated in east Haute-Loire ''département'' and south east of Massif central. History Julius Caesar mentioned the vellavi as subordinate of the arverni. Strabon suggested that they might have made ...

Venaco Venaco is a commune in the Haute-Corse department of France on the island of Corsica. Geography Venaco is on the Vecchio River with Mont Rotondo, to the west and Mont Cardo, on the north. It contains Lake Bellebone. Population Transport ...

* Vesontio * Vieux-Boulogne * Vieux Samer *

Void Void may refer to: Science, engineering, and technology * Void (astronomy), the spaces between galaxy filaments that contain no galaxies * Void (composites), a pore that remains unoccupied in a composite material * Void, synonym for vacuum, a ...

* Xaintray

Notes

External links

Pictures Gallery of French Cheese (and some others)

Pictures and detailed information on French Cheese
{{Geographical indications French Cheese +FranceList_of_French_cheeses

Protected designation of origin

Other cheeses

See also

Notes

External links