List of French cheeses

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Map of major AOC cheeses - the size of the symbol equates to the size of production Principales AOC France.jpg
Map of major AOC cheeses – the size of the symbol equates to the size of production

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. In 1962, French President Charles de Gaulle once asked, "How can you govern a country which has two hundred and forty-six varieties of cheese?" [1] There is immense diversity within each variety of cheese, leading some to estimate between 1,000 and 1,600 distinct types of French cheese. [2] French cheeses are broadly grouped into eight categories, 'les huit familles de fromage'. [2]

Contents

Protected designation of origin

Under the Common Agricultural Policy of the European Union, 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 (PGI). The systems has largely replaced national systems, such as the French appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) system, as any cheese registered as a PDO or PGI can not use the designation AOC anymore in order to avoid confusion. [3]

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: [4]

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

CheeseYear designated appellationProducing regionType of milkDesignation
Abondance 1990 Haute-Savoie Cow PDO
Banon 2003 Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Goat PDO
Beaufort 1968 Savoie CowPDO
Bleu d'Auvergne 1975 Auvergne CowPDO
Bleu des Causses 1979 Midi-Pyrénées CowPDO
Bleu de Gex Haut-Jura / Bleu de Septmoncel1977 Franche-Comté CowPDO
Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage 1998 Rhône-Alpes CowPDO
Bucheron Loire Valley GoatPDO
Brie de Meaux 1980 Île-de-France CowPDO
Brie de Melun 1980 Île-de-France CowPDO
Brillat-Savarin 2015 Burgundy CowPGI
Brocciu Corse or Brocciu1983 Corsica Sheep PDO
Brousse du Rove 2018 Le Rove GoatPDO
Cabécou 1988 Midi-Pyrénées GoatAOC
Cancoillotte n/a Franche-Comté CowLR
Cantal, Fourme de Cantal1956 Auvergne CowPDO
Camembert de Normandie 1983 Normandy CowAOC
Cazelle de Saint Affrique n/a Midi-Pyrénées, Aveyron DepartmentSheepPDO
Chabichou du Poitou 1990 Poitou-Charentes GoatPDO
Chaource 1970 Champagne-Ardenne CowPDO
Charolais  [ fr ]2010 Charolais, France GoatPDO
Chevrotin 2003 Savoy GoatPDO
Comté 1952 Franche-Comté CowPDO
Crottin de Chavignol/Chavignol1976 Centre-Val de Loire GoatPDO
Emmental de Savoie n/a Savoie CowPGI
Emmental français est-central n/a Franche-Comté CowPGI
Époisses 1991 Burgundy CowPDO
Fourme d'Ambert 1972 Auvergne CowPDO
Fourme de Montbrison 1972 Auvergne CowPDO
Gruyère 2018 [6] central eastern regionsCowPGI
Laguiole 1961 Auvergne CowPDO
Langres 1991 Champagne-Ardenne CowPDO
Livarot 1972 Normandy CowPDO
Mâconnais 2006 Burgundy GoatPDO
Maroilles or Marolles1976 Nord-Pas-de-Calais CowPDO
Mimolette n/a Nord-Pas-de-Calais CowLR
Mont d'or, or Vacherin Mont d'Or du Haut-Doubs2006 Franche-Comté CowPDO
Morbier 2000 Franche-Comté CowPDO
Munster or Munster-Géromé1969 Alsace and Vosges départements in Lorraine CowPDO
Neufchâtel 1969 Normandy CowPDO
Ossau-lraty 1980 Aquitaine SheepPDO
Pélardon 2000 Languedoc-Roussillon GoatPDO
Picodon 1983 Rhône-Alpes GoatPDO
Pont-l'Évêque 1976 Normandy CowPDO
Pouligny-Saint-Pierre 1972 Centre-Val de Loire GoatPDO
Raclette de Savoie  [ fr ]2015 Franche-Comté CowPGI
Reblochon or Reblochon de Savoie1958 Savoie and Haute-Savoie CowPDO
Rigotte de Condrieu 2008 Lyon GoatPDO
Rocamadour 1996 Midi-Pyrénées GoatPDO
Roquefort 1925 Midi-Pyrénées SheepPDO
Sainte-Maure de Touraine 1990 Centre-Val de Loire GoatPDO
Saint-Marcellin 2010 Rhône-Alpes CowPGI
Saint-Nectaire 1955 Auvergne CowPDO
Saint-Félicien n/a Rhône-Alpes CowLR
Salers 1979 Auvergne CowPDO
Selles-sur-Cher 1975 Centre-Val de Loire GoatPDO
Soumaintrain (fr)2014 Soumaintrain Cow [7] PGI
Tome des Bauges 2002 Savoie CowPDO
Tome fraîche n/a Auvergne and Aubrac CowAOC
Tomme de Savoie n/a Savoie CowPGI
Tomme des Pyrénées n/a Midi-Pyrénées CowPGI
Trou du Cru n/a Burgundy, Côte-d'Or DepartmentCowAOC
Valençay 1998 Centre-Val de Loire GoatPDO
Cheese seller in France Sheeps cheese, Villefranche de Rouergue.jpg
Cheese seller in France

Other cheeses

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Les Mots du Général, Ernest Mignon (1962))
  2. 1 2 "Quelles sont les grandes familles de fromages? – Module fromage – Sommaire – Tout savoir sur le fromage – Fromages et Nutrition – Institut Fromages & Santé". Institut-fromages-et-sante.com. 2009-02-25. Archived from the original on 2013-01-26. Retrieved 2014-03-12.
  3. ↑ "L'Appellation d'origine protégée; L'Appellation d'origine contrôlée" (PDF). INAO (in French).
  4. ↑ Masui, T.; Tomoko, Y.; Hodgson, R.; Robuchon, J. (2004). French Cheeses. DK. ISBN   1-4053-0666-1.
  5. ↑ Barthélemy, Roland; Sperat-Czar, Arnaud (2004). Cheeses of the world. Hachette Illustrated (London). ISBN   1-84430-115-X.
  6. ↑ "Gruyère". European Union. Retrieved 26 September 2021.
  7. ↑ "Official Journal C 47/2016". eur-lex.europa.eu. Retrieved 2024-04-17.
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