French Cheese

France is the home of 500 different varieties of cheese, distinctive in its taste and property range from mild to acidic cheese. French cheese is famous for it’s used in sandwiches and snacks. A movement began to ensure the authenticity of cheese, culminating (1936) in France when the appellation controlée (quality control) law, now the model for similar legislation in other European countries, came into effect. The law allows only cheese made from pure milk (cow’s milk, goat’s milk ewe’s milk water buffaloes milk and mare’s milk), to be called cheese. History of French cheese is so old that no exact date is ever mentioned but a story is famous all over the France that a dwarf was serving his chief as goat herders. One day he was unable to provide milk to his boss and forget it somewhere in the hill step where the goats were eating grass next day he find a dry curd instead of milk which he founds more delicious then milk. Traditionally only goat milk is used to make cheese but now sources for milk varies. French cheeses are formed from uncooked milk and from pasteurized milk. The uncooked milk is not heated above 37C` (because of this it keeps all its properties) where as pasteurized milk is heated to 72C` for 20 to 30 second which annihilated any pathogenic germ.

In ancient times French Raclette Cheese was considered as semi-firm, salted cheese made from cow's milk which changes with time, but now, varieties are made with white wine, pepper, herbs, or smoked herbs or nuts. Raclette was first originated in the Swiss canton of Valais, but now it is also produced in Savoie and Franche-Comté, which are the french regions. Raclette cheese comes from "racler" meaning to scratch, and describes the way it was traditionally geared up and eaten. The scratch surface of a Raclette is melted in front of a fire or grill and the melted cheese is frayed off ("raclé") on to boiled potatoes or on meat.Raclette is usually fashioned into a round shape each piece is 6 kg.

It is ripened for at least 8 weeks to excellence its flavor and melting qualities.

It is very versatile due to its excellent melting properties. Try similar to ancient swiss cow herders, the Swiss cow herders take the cheese with them when they were moving with their cows to the pastures up in the mountains. Around the campfire after the sunset, they place the cheese next to the fire and, waityign the cheese to reached at the perfect softness, they use to scrape it on top of some bread, give great exceptional tang to you.
The modern way of serving this involves an electric grill to heat slices of raclette cheese and use this melted cheese on your meals similarly as we do on pizza topping Yummy…..

French cheeses are mainly dividing following groups:

Blue Cheeses, Fresh Cheeses, Goat Cheeses Pressed, uncooked cheeses Pressed, cooked cheeses Processed, Cheese Soft, bloomy-rind cheeses Soft, washed rind cheeses.

French usually list their cheeses according to the milk used to make cheese following are the types of French cheeses:
Cows Milk Type:

1. Aisy cendre
2. Baeufort
3. Boursin
4. Brie de meaux
5. Camembert
6. Cantal
7. Chaource
8. Epoisses
9. Langres
10. Livarot
11. Munster
12. Saint marcellin
13. Saint nectaire

Blue Cheese:

1. Bleu’d Auvergne
2. Fourme’d Ambert

Goat Milk Cheese:

1. Banon
2. Brocciu
3. Chabichou du poitou
4. Chevre
5. Crottin
6. valencay

Ewe’s Milk Cheese

1. Brocciu
2. Ossau-iraty
3. Roquefort

France is ranked number one for its wine production and number two for its cheese production there for French wine and cheese go side by side. French used to gift its famous wines with cheese packed beautifully in different shapes and in stunning covers on Easters and charismas. Usually French are found of cheese