Top 10 favorite cheeses in France

Almost all French people (92%) eat cheese at least once a week, and 62% even eat it every day. In terms of volume, this represents approximately 26kg per person per year, or about 7% of the household food budget, with Camembert and Emmental being the most popular.

However, they have the choice of more than 1,200 varieties of cheese, 45 of which have an AOC (Appellation of Controlled Origin). To make them, France relies on 30,000 milk producers and 1,400 cheese producers who, each year, put on the market 2 million tons of what has become an emblem of France in the world.

Raw, cooked or melted, this tasty food is mainly bought in supermarkets (3/4 of total sales) even if, in recent years, creameries, small cheese stores and markets are increasingly frequented by cheese lovers.

Comté cheese
Particularly appreciated as an aperitif, this cheese also inspires cooks who can, depending on the dish, accompany it with red or white wine.

Roquefort cheese
Even if its appearance may put some people off, the "prince of blues" is still very popular, perhaps because it has found in France a precious ally for all gastronomes: good bread. On a slice of bread, with or without butter, it is indeed a treat!

The goat log
Popularized by its use in salads in a toasted version, this fine-tasting cheese can be enjoyed with both savory and sweet dishes, with many recipes combining it with fruit, for example.

Reblochon
Another dish that has contributed to the success of a cheese, but much less light than a salad: the tartiflette of which it is the major ingredient. Warm and melted or cold and sliced, there are nevertheless many other occasions to appreciate it.

Brie cheese
Originating from the French region of Brie, this soft cheese with a bloomy rind is said to have roots dating back to antiquity. More than 2,000 years later, it's a must-have on any cheese platter worthy of the name.

Le Gruyère
Rarely consumed by the cut, its use in various recipes (gratins, pancakes...) in its rapped form makes its presence essential in each French fridge.

The Saint-Nectaire
Its soft and creamy rind, its nutty taste, its tasty alliance with white wine: this cheese originating from Auvergne is so popular that it has been registered in the inventory of the immaterial cultural heritage of France since 2019.

The little Basque
With its fruity and sweet flavors, this pure ewe's milk cheese has a caramel crust whose streaky appearance comes from its initial transport, in a wicker basket, by its creator, an inspired Basque shepherd.

So many succulent products that the whole world envies us, France is the first country to export cheese with important orders, each year, from our European neighbors (Germany, Great Britain, Belgium, Spain and Italy in the lead).