How many cheeses are there in France?

116053 Views 29/05/2022 0 comments Posted By: Emmanuel Poulet-Harmel In: Blog of gourmets

The French are big fans of #cheese and consume more than 20 kg per year and per person.

And the types of cheese are so different that everyone can have their own preference.

So let's dwell for a moment on their number in France...

What we do know is that there are many of them !

Specialized organizations carry out a census every year. We can list eight families of #cheese :

- Fresh cheeses: Faisselle, Boursin®, etc.
- soft cheeses with a bloomy rind: the #Camembert, the #Brie…
- soft cheeses with a washed rind: the #maroilles, the #livarot…
- uncooked pressed cheeses: the #morbier, the #cantal…
- cooked pressed cheeses:#emmental, the #county…
- blue-veined cheeses: the #Roquefort, Auvergne blue…
- processed cheeses: La Vache qui rit®, cancoillotte…
- goat cheeses: the #rocamadour, the dung of #Chavignol…

These eight families then make it possible to count a more precise number of cheeses. It is estimated that there are between 1200 and 1500 in France or even more according to the various organizations that identify them.

You see, it is not so easy to reference them all! Do you know that each year cheeses disappear and new ones are born ?

There are so many cheeses because they were invented all over France. Some of them are regional specialties and take their names from the cities where they were created. For example, Roquefort takes the name of its town of origin, Roquefort-sur-Soulzon, like Camembert, #gruyere, Livarot, Maroilles or #salers.

But the name of a cheese can also refer to its region. This is the case of the Comté from Franche-Comté, Bleu d'Auvergne or Cantal. Ossau-Iraty is so named because of the Ossau valley in Béarn and the Iraty massif in the Basque Country and Mont d'Or has adopted the name of a mountain in the Jura massif.
Moreover, it also happens that a cheese takes the name of the company that created it, such as Babybel® from the Bel group.