France. Millions of people flock to France every year for scenery, architecture, Riviera relaxation, historic landmarks, cuisine and wine. But what about cheese? Specifically cheese. Is it more preposterous than say, a wine tour of Alsace or the Loire Valley? In the name of Camembert, why on Earth not? After all, the same labor of love mentality that informs the best wines in the world – with careful attention to geography, soil, sunshine, cultivation and ultimate production – also yields the best cheese.
When we appreciate the best – whether the item at hand is a Japanese high-carbon steel kitchen knife, Ducati motorcycle, soapstone Inuit sculpture or in this case, hunk of cheese – it’s always incredibly delightful to head to the source. So if you like, nay love, cheese, re-consider the itinerary on your next trip to France. Can you slot in a cheesy tour on the way to Paris or the Côte d’Azur?
France produces hundreds of types of cheese, with variations from department to department and town to town. As with wine, the country controls designation of origin fiercely. Look for the Appellation d’origine contrôlée mark, or AOC label, as a sign of quality.
Here are some of the best regions in France for pure, cheesy goodness.
The Midi-Pyrénées region produces Bleu des Causses, Cabecou, Rocamadour, Roquefort and Tomme des Pyrénées. With more land than Denmark or the Netherlands, the region has a remarkable capital city in Toulouse. Small communes like Millau and Cahors and the Languedoc wine country however, make the Midi-Pyrénées special. The commune of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon in Aveyron department is one of the most famous world capitals of cheese. A tour of the Cambalou caves where the remarkable blue cheese ages to sharp perfection is a must.
Franche-Comté produces Bleu de Gex, Comté, Emmental (français of course), Morbier and Vacherin Mont d’Or. While all phenomenal, Vacherin Mont d’Or is one of the most luxurious brands in the cheese world. A cow’s milk cheese made in Franche-Comté and the Canton of Fribourg in Switzerland, it typically contains close to 50% milk fat and is best enjoyed warm, fondue-style. While in Franche-Comté, do not miss the fabulous and historic capital city of Besançon.
From Camembert to Livarot, Neufchâtel to Pont-l’Évêque, Normandy produces first-rate cheese. The English Channel coast and Calvados department feature tidy communes like Pont-l’Évêque, where you can enjoy the local creamy and aromatic claim to fame. Camembert of course, is perhaps the most famous cheese to ever come out of France and a gorgeous little town of less than 200 people in the Orne department of Normandy.
Abondance, Chevrotin, Emmental de Savoie, Reblochon and Tomme de Savoie put the Rhône-Alpes department of Savoie on the cheese map. From Chambéry to Albertville, Savoie has many fine towns to tour and explore. Make a special trip to the pristine valley towns of Thônes and Arly however, to sample reams of delicious Reblochon.
The region of Auvergne has a famous and scenic capital in Clermont-Ferrand, home of Michelin and the Puy-de-Dôme lava mountain. Cheese however, is a staple. Bleu d’Auvergne, Cantal, Fourme d’Ambert, Fourme de Montbrison, Laguiole, Saint-Nectaire and Salers are the big names in the region. We love the tiny commune of Laguiole, not only for cheese, but as the birthplace of the gorgeous, eponymous knives. Fourme d’Ambert, made in beautiful Ambert and Puy-de-Dôme, is a spectacular cheese.
Île-de-France is the regional home of Paris and Brie cheese, in the form of Brie de Meaux and Brie de Melun. The soft, cow’s milk cheese is a household name but poor imitations flood the market and water down the beauty of the original. So head to marvelous Meaux, a superb commune of 50,000 people, and remind yourself what real Brie tastes like. They make a darn good mustard here as well.
Discover great hotel rates in cheesy destinations all over France.
Photo credits: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
Responses to this Article
Leave a Reply