About the French cheeses
France is home to a very large variety of cheeses(the number varies from 250 to over 1000!).They can be classified according the type,the food-processing and the protected designation of origin.
The TYPES are fresh cheese,processed cheese,blue cheese,hard or semi-hard,soft cheese with surface mould,soft cheese with washed rind,soft cheese with natural rind,pressed and unheated cheese,pressed and heated cheese.
The 4 CATEGORIES OF FOOD- PROCESSING
- fermier:cheese produced in the farm and with the milk of the farm only.
- artisanal:cheese made with the milk of the farm and other local farms in small quantities.
- cooperative:dairy with local milk producers.
- industriel:factory-made cheese from local,regional and national milk.
PROTECTED DESIGNATION OF ORIGIN
AOC a French label,AOP a EU label see NEXT ENTRY!
THE ORIGIN OF THE MILK:
Mostly cow's milk,sometimes from sheep like the Roquefort of Aveyron and Etorki of Basq country or from goats like the Crottin de Chavignol or the Picodon.
THE QUALITY OF THE MILK:
-raw,unpasteurized
-pasteurized
WINE PAIRING: QUASI NONE!!!
because I'm not a great connoisseur of wines(I know only some French ones) and cos I usually eat strong cheeses with penetrating smell which may denaturate the wine,I often don't worry about it!!!If you cry foul,I don't care!
If red wine is often paired with cheeses,a white wine(even sweet!!) can also be suitable(with 70% of the French cheeses).
You can check about wine pairing:
-http://www.
-www.gourmetsleuth.com/cpairing.htm
-www.frencheese.co.uk/cheesepairing
For gourmets and gourmands who want to buy :www.teddingtoncheese.co.uk www.cheeseonline.fr/cheesemonger www.amazon.com/Gourmet-Cheese-Food
About French cheeses:
-http://androuet.com
-www.fromages.com
-www.teddingtoncheese.co.uk
-www.cheese-france.com
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