Best Cheeses In All Of France

France is known for its cheeses, but even in France, some cheeses are better than others. With an estimated 1500 distinct types of French Cheese, it is good to know which are the best cheeses in all of France. This is my selection but first a brief illustration of how French cheese is sorted.

How French Cheese is categorised

There are eight categories of French cheese known as ‘Les huit familles de fromage’.

1. Les fromages frais-Fresh cheese
2. Les pâtes molles à croûte fleurie-Soft cheese with a flowery rind
3. Les pâtes molles à croûte lavée-Soft washed rind cheese
4. Les pâtes persillées-Blue cheese
5. Les pâtes pressées non cuites-Uncooked pressed cheese
6. Les pâtes pressées cuites-Cooked pressed Cheese
7. Les chèvres-Goats cheese
8. Les fromages fondus-Processed cheese

The Geographical Origin of Cheese

The European Union has a classification system designed to protect the geographical origin of agricultural produce. Cheese has three categories: the Appellation d’Origine Protégée (AOP), the less stringent Indication Géographique Protégée (IGP) and Spécialité Traditionnelle Garantie (STG). The legally regulated designation Label Rouge (LR) refers to products which by their terms of production or manufacture have a higher level of quality compared to other similar products usually marketed. Some cheeses were classified, protected, and regulated under French law. The highest classification, Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée (AOC), has been largely replaced by the AOP.

Depending on the requirements of the geographical classification, additional manufacturing conditions must be met.

• Fermier: farmhouse cheese. Cheese produced on the same farm as the milk.
• Artisanal: Artisan producer. Cheese made in relatively small quantities using the farm’s milk, but additional milk can be purchased from local farms.
• Coopérative: Dairy. Local milk producers in an area who have joined together to produce cheese. In larger coopératives, quantities of cheese produced may be relatively large, akin to some industrial producers (many may be classed factory-made).
• Industrial: factory-made cheese from milk sourced locally or regionally, perhaps all over France (depending on the AOC/PDO regulations for specific cheeses).

The Best French Cheeses in their Families

Please note that cheeses made with goat’s milk (Chèvres) can technically belong to other families (like pâtes molles or pâtes pressées non cuites), but for clarity, I have placed them in the dedicated Les chèvres family where applicable, and grouped the rest by their texture/ripening method.

My selection of the Best French Cheeses

Name–(region)-milk-Designated Protection

Abondance-(Haute-Savoie)-Cow-PDO

A semi-hard, pressed mountain cheese with an intensely fruity, buttery, and hazelnut flavor. It has a melt-in-the-mouth texture and takes a minimum of three months to mature.

Banon-Provence-(Alpes-Côte d’Azur)–Goat-PDO

A small, soft, raw goat milk cheese characterized by being wrapped in brown chestnut leaves tied with natural raffia and often matured in brandy (eau-de-vie).

Beaufort-(Savoie)-Cow-PDO

A large wheel of firm, cooked, pressed mountain cheese (a type of Gruyère) with a smooth texture and a distinctively sweet, floral, and strong ivory to pale yellow paste.

Bleu d’Auvergne- Auvergne-(Cow)- PDO

A creamy, moist blue cheese with prominent blue-green veins. It has a spicy, strong, and piquant flavor with a slight grassy aroma, distinct from Roquefort.

Bleu des Causses-(Midi-Pyrénées)-Cow-PDO

A powerful and creamy blue cheese with an intense character. It is traditionally aged in the natural limestone caves (fleurines) of the Causses, giving it a unique flavor.

Bleu de Gex Haut-Jura / Bleu de Septmoncel-(Franche-Comté)-Cow-PDO

A pale, mild blue cheese with a softer, less aggressive character than other blues. The name “Gex” is typically printed in hollow letters on the rind.

Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage-(Rhône-Alpes )-Cow-PDO

A gentle blue cheese known for its ivory, dense paste with fine blue-gray marbling. It has a moist, slightly creamy rind.

Brie de Meaux-(Île-de-France)-(Cow)-PDO

The “King of Cheeses,” a large, soft cheese with a bloomy white rind. It has a subtle aroma of cream and hazelnuts and a famously creamy, elegant paste.

Brie de Melun-(Île-de-France )-Cow-PDO

Smaller, more robust and rustic than Brie de Meaux, with a stronger, saltier flavor and a golden-yellow paste under a darker, mottled rind.

Brillat-Savarin-(Burgundy)-Cow-IGP

A luxurious triple-crème soft cheese enriched with extra cream, resulting in a buttery, mild, and lactic flavor with an extremely rich, velvety texture.

Brocciu Corse or Brocciu-(Corsica)-Sheep-PDO

A fresh whey cheese (similar to ricotta but richer), made from sheep’s or goat’s milk whey. It is a staple of Corsican cuisine and one of the few whey cheeses with PDO status.

Brousse du Rove-(Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur)-Goat-PDO

A very fresh, tender, conical cheese made from raw Rove goat’s milk. It has a mild, milky, and slightly sweet flavor and is often served with honey or sugar as a dessert.

Bûche du Poitou-(Poitou Charentes)

A generic term for a fresh or aged log-shaped goat cheese (bûchette) from the region. It typically has a bright white, smooth paste and a mild, fresh taste.

Cabécou-(Midi-Pyrénées)-Goat-AOC

A small, soft, round goat cheese known for its mild, lactic, and slightly sweet flavor. Its thin, often striped rind can develop blue mold as it ages.

Cachat-(Provence Alpes Cote d’Azur)

A homemade, strong-flavored cheese spread made by crushing and blending various cheeses (often goat or ewe) with seasoning, typically aged until very pungent and often stored in a pot.

Cancoillotte-(Franche-Comté )-Cow-LR

A unique, low-fat, cooked and melted cheese spread made from metton (curdled milk). It has an acidic and buttery flavor and is traditionally served warm over potatoes or cold cuts.

Cantal, Fourme de Cantal-(Auvergne)-Cow-PDO

One of France’s oldest cheeses, it’s an uncooked, pressed, semi-hard cheese similar in texture to Cheddar. Its flavor ranges from buttery and tangy when young to robust and nutty when aged.

Camembert de Normandie-(Normandy)-Cow-AOC

A renowned soft cheese with a bloomy rind, historically made from raw milk. It is molded by hand ladle and develops a frank bouquet of milk and undergrowth as it ripens.

Casgiu Merzu-(Corsica)-No Protection 

Also known as casgiu marzu , is a Corsican cheese preparation.Sheep or goat cheese is left to ripen in a ventilated place open to flies. The flies lay their eggs in the cheese, which become larvae. The maggots feed on the cheese. These larvae of the cheese fly, Piophila casei, bring the cheese to a stage of decomposition by their digestive action, which engenders an advanced level of fermentation by breaking down the fatty acids. Fans say this rotten cheese walks on its own, thanks to its maggots. All that remains is a paste hollowed out with small galleries, its texture has become very soft, and a liquid (called lagrima, tear) flows from it. When stirred, its consistency resembles that of cachat.It is eaten with or without the maggots or heated.Needless to say it is not available outside of Corsica

Cazelle de Saint Affrique-(Midi-Pyrénées)-Sheep-PDO

A small, soft, bloomy-rind sheep cheese from the Aveyron region. Its paste is dense, smooth, and develops nutty, earthy, and tangy flavors.

Chabichou du Poitou-(Poitou-Charentes)-Goat-PDO

A small, truncated cone-shaped goat cheese. It has a thin rind that develops blue and yellow molds, and a firm paste with a delicate, slightly acidic, and salty taste.

Chaource-(Champagne-Ardenne)-Cow-PDO

A soft, bloomy-rind cheese shaped like a thick cylinder. It has a creamy, chalky center and a mild, mushroomy flavor.

Charolais [fr]-(Rhône)-Goat-PDO

A large, traditional goat cheese shaped like a barrel with slightly bulging sides. It is known for its complex flavor that intensifies with age.

Chevrotin-(Savoie and Haute-Savoie)-Goat-PDO

A semi-soft, uncooked pressed cheese that is the only PDO goat cheese from the mountainous Savoie region. It has a delicate, subtle, and slightly acidic flavor.

Comté-(Franche-Comté)-Cow-PDO

The most popular PDO cheese in France, it is a large, firm, cooked, and pressed mountain cheese with a wide range of flavor notes, including brown butter, caramel, and nuts, depending on its age.

Crottin de Chavignol/Chavignol-(Centre-Val de Loire)-Goat-PDO

A small, round, button-shaped goat cheese. Its flavor and texture change drastically from fresh and creamy to firm, crumbly, and intensely sharp as it ages.

Emmental de Savoie-(Savoie)-Cow-IGP

A large-format, cooked pressed cheese known for its sweet, milky flavor and the classic large “eyes” (holes). The IGP ensures its quality and production in the Savoie area.

Emmental français-est-central-(Franche-Comté)-Cow-IGP

A cooked pressed cheese similar to the Savoie version, with the characteristic holes and fruity flavor, but produced across a broader central-eastern French region.

Époisses-(Burgundy)-Cow-PDO

A pungent, washed-rind soft cheese famously washed with marc de Bourgogne (a local brandy). Its interior is creamy and runny, with a powerful, salty, and complex flavor.

Faisselle Rians(Centre-Val de Loire)-Cow, Goat, Sheep

A fresh, unripened cheese with a soft, delicate texture, traditionally served and eaten in its draining basket (faisselle), often with sugar or honey.

Fourme d’Ambert-(Auvergne )-Cow-PDO

One of France’s oldest cheeses, this is a tall, cylindrical blue cheese known for its particularly mild, creamy, and gentle blue flavor, making it highly approachable.

Fourme de Montbrison -(Auvergne)-Cow -PDO

A cylindrical blue cheese similar to Fourme d’Ambert, but it is aged with a salting technique called salage au seau (salting in a bucket), giving it a slightly different flavor profile.

Gruyère-(Central eastern regions)-Cow IGP

In France, this IGP cheese is a cooked pressed cheese often confused with Comté. It is known for its smooth texture and rich, nutty flavor, but the French IGP version must contain holes.

Laguiole-(Auvergne)-Cow-PDO

A large, uncooked pressed cheese traditionally shaped in a tall cylinder. It has a firm texture, a thick rind, and a slightly acidic, milky, and persistent taste.

Langres-(Champagne-Ardenne)-Cow-PDO

A washed-rind soft cheese distinguished by a concave top (a fontaine) that develops as the cheese is never turned during aging. This dip is traditionally filled with marc or Champagne.

Livarot-Normandy-(Cow)-PDO

A washed-rind soft cheese known as the “Colonel” due to the five strips of reed or paper historically tied around its circumference, which help it hold its shape. It has a powerful, earthy aroma.

Mâconnais-(Burgundy)-Goat -PDO

A small, truncated cone-shaped goat cheese that is dried and often wrapped in chestnut leaves. It has a fine, dense paste with an intense goaty flavor.

Maroilles or Marolles-(Nord-Pas-de-Calais)-Cow-PDO

A powerful, square-shaped, washed-rind soft cheese with a sticky, reddish-orange rind. It has a strong, pungent aroma but a surprisingly mild, buttery, and slightly sweet flavor.

Mimolette-(Nord-Pas-de-Calais)-Cow-LR

A firm, sphere-shaped cow’s milk cheese famous for its bright orange color (from annatto) and its rich, fruity, and nutty flavor that intensifies as it ages.

Mont d’or, or Vacherin du Haut-Doubs-(Franche-Comté)-Cow-PDO

A seasonal (late August to March) soft, creamy cheese bound by a strip of spruce bark which imparts an earthy, woody flavor. It’s often baked in its box.

Morbier-(Franche-Comté)-Cow-PDO

A semi-soft cheese easily recognizable by the distinctive thin, horizontal layer of dark ash running through the center, which originally separated the morning and evening curds. It has a creamy, fruity flavor.

Mothais (Poitou Charentes)

A goat cheese that is uniquely aged on a bed of chestnut or plane tree leaves, which helps regulate humidity and imparts a slightly woodsy, earthy aroma.

Munster/Munster-Géromé-(Alsace & Vosges Lorraine)-Cow-PDO

A famously aromatic, washed-rind soft cheese with a creamy, sticky rind and a powerful, deeply savory, and sometimes spicy flavor.

Neufchâtel-(Normandy )-Cow-PDO

One of the oldest Norman cheeses, it’s a soft, bloomy-rind cheese often shaped like a small heart. It has a slightly grainy, mushroomy, and tangy flavor.

Ossau-lraty -(Aquitaine Sheep)-PDO

A semi-hard, uncooked pressed cheese from the Basque and Béarn regions. It has a smooth texture and a complex, nutty, buttery, and long-lasting savory flavor.

Pélardon-(Languedoc-Roussillon)-Goat-PDO

A small, round, soft goat cheese that ripens quickly. It has a delicate, milky, and slightly acidic flavor that sharpens significantly with age.

Picodon-(Rhône-Alpes)-Goat-PDO

A small, flat, round goat cheese known for its intense, sharp flavor that develops rapidly. It is often aged and sometimes marinated in oil and herbs (affiné à l’huile).

Pont-l’Évêque-(Normandy)-Cow-PDO

A washed-rind soft cheese distinguished by its square shape. It has a strong aroma but a mild, delicate, and nutty flavor with a creamy texture.

Port Salut (Pays de la Loire) -Cow-No Protection

An industrialized, semi-soft, smooth cheese originally created by Trappist monks. It has a mild, buttery, and slightly sweet flavor and a distinct orange rind.

Pouligny-Saint-Pierre-(Centre-Val de Loire)-Goat-PDO

A unique, pyramid-shaped goat cheese. It has a stark white paste and a thin, blue-gray/white rind, offering a clean, acidic, and nutty flavor.

Raclette de Savoie-(Savoie)-Cow-IGP

primarily known for its melting properties. It has a smooth texture and a pleasant, mild flavor, designed for the traditional raclette dish.

Reblochon or Reblochon de Savoie-(Savoie and Haute-Savoie)-Cow-PDO

A soft, uncooked pressed cheese with an orange-yellow washed rind. It is creamy and rich, with a nutty, herbal, and slightly musky flavor, often used in Tartiflette.

Rigotte de Condrieu-(Lyon)-(Goat)-PDO

A very small, fresh or lightly aged goat cheese traditionally made in the mountains above the Rhône Valley. It has a fine, soft paste and a delicate, floral flavor.

Rocamadour-(Midi-Pyrénées)-Goat -PDO

A very small, flat, round goat cheese often eaten young and creamy. It has a thin, bloomy rind and a delicate, slightly buttery flavor.

Roquefort-(Midi-Pyrénées)-Sheep-PDO

The most famous blue cheese, made exclusively from sheep’s milk and matured in the natural Combalou caves near Roquefort-sur-Soulzon. It is pungent, salty, and intensely savory.

Saint-Félicien-(Rhône-Alpes)-Cow- LR

A creamy, soft-ripened cheese, similar to St. Marcellin but larger. It is known for its extremely runny, buttery texture and rich, milky flavor when ripe.

Saint-Marcellin-(Auvergne)-Cow-IGP

A small, soft cheese, often sold in a small terracotta pot. It is known for being very creamy, runny, and buttery when aged, with a slightly acidic and nutty flavor.

Sainte-Maure de Touraine-(Centre-Val de Loire)-Goat-PDO

A log-shaped goat cheese characterized by a straw running through its center (used to strengthen it). It has a nutty, earthy, and sometimes slightly acidic flavor.

Saint-Nectaire-(Auvergne)-Cow-PDO

A semi-soft, uncooked pressed cheese with a distinctive, coarse, gray/brown moldy rind. The paste is creamy and supple, offering a nutty, mushroomy, and earthy flavor.

Salers-(Auvergne )-Cow-PDO

A hard, uncooked pressed cheese similar to Cantal, but must be made in the summer using milk from cows grazing freely, giving it an especially strong, herbal, and complex flavor.

Selles-sur-Cher-(Centre-Val de Loire)-Goat-PDO

A flat, round goat cheese whose surface is coated in a dark gray-blue edible ash (traditionally charcoal). It has a dense, chalky paste with a distinct salty and nutty flavor.

Soumaintrain-Burgundy, Côte-d’Or Department)-Cow-IGP

A washed-rind soft cheese that is mildly pungent. It is often washed with a local brine or marc de Bourgogne, giving it a slightly sweet, creamy, and salty taste.

Tome des Bauges [fr]-(Savoie Cow)-PDO

A semi-soft, uncooked pressed cheese with a smooth texture and a thick, fuzzy gray rind. It has a pronounced, earthy, and milky flavor.

Tome fraîche-(Auvergne and Aubrac)-Cow-AOC

This is fresh, unripened, non-salted curd used as the core ingredient in the regional dish Aligot (mashed potatoes blended with the cheese).

Tomme de Savoie -(Savoie)-Cow-IGP

A semi-soft, rustic mountain cheese with a rough, thick, gray-brown rind. It has a low fat content and a light, earthy, and nutty flavor.

Tomme des Pyrénées-(Midi-Pyrénées-Cow-IGP

A general category for semi-hard, uncooked pressed cheeses from the Pyrénées mountains. It has a smooth texture and a buttery, slightly tangy taste.

Trou du Cru-(Burgundy, Côte-d’Or Department)-Cow-AOC

A tiny, intensely flavored washed-rind soft cheese that is aged in high humidity and washed with Marc de Bourgogne. It is highly pungent with a creamy, strong interior.

Valençay-(Centre-Val de Loire)-Goat-PDO

A pyramid-shaped goat cheese that has had its tip sliced off (legend says by Napoleon). It is coated in a dark blue-gray ash and has a mild, nutty, and slightly acidic flavor.