France makes hundreds of cheeses, and trying them where they are made is one of the great pleasures of a trip. If you only remember one thing, remember the families: soft bloomy-rind cheeses (Brie, Camembert), pungent washed-rind cheeses (Époisses, Munster), firm Alpine cheeses (Comté, Beaufort), tangy goat cheeses and blue cheeses led by Roquefort. Taste at least one from each group, buy from a cheese shop (fromagerie) or market rather than a supermarket, and eat them the French way: after the main course, with bread, before dessert.

This guide explains how French cheese is labeled, which cheeses to look for in each family and region, how to shop at a fromagerie, the basic etiquette at the table and what to know before packing cheese in your suitcase.

How French Cheese Is Classified

There is no single official list of “types”, but French cheesemongers usually group cheeses by milk and by rind, which tells you a lot about texture and strength.

• Milk: cow (vache), goat (chèvre) or sheep (brebis). Labels show it, and many shops arrange their counters this way.
• Raw or pasteurized: au lait cru means raw milk, which usually gives a more complex flavor. Many of the most famous traditional cheeses are made only from raw milk. Pregnant travelers are generally advised to avoid raw-milk and soft cheeses; ask your doctor.
• Farm or dairy: fermier means made on the farm with the farm’s own milk; laitier or industriel means made in a dairy from collected milk.
• AOP: the red-and-yellow AOP logo (Appellation d’Origine Protégée) guarantees that the cheese comes from a defined area and follows set rules on milk, breeds and aging. France has more than 40 AOP cheeses, and the label is a reliable shortcut to traditional versions.
• IGP and Label Rouge: IGP (blue-and-yellow logo) also ties a cheese to a region but with looser rules; Label Rouge is a French quality mark.

Family	Texture and taste	Classic examples
Soft, bloomy rind	Creamy, white velvety rind, mild to mushroomy	Brie de Meaux, Camembert de Normandie, Chaource, Brillat-Savarin
Washed rind	Sticky orange rind, strong smell, often milder inside	Époisses, Munster, Maroilles, Livarot, Pont-l’Évêque
Pressed, uncooked	Supple to firm, nutty and lactic	Reblochon, Saint-Nectaire, Cantal, Morbier, Tomme de Savoie
Pressed, cooked (Alpine)	Firm, fruity, long-aged	Comté, Beaufort, Abondance
Goat	Fresh and lemony to dense and nutty	Crottin de Chavignol, Sainte-Maure de Touraine, Valençay
Blue	Salty, sharp, creamy	Roquefort, Bleu d’Auvergne, Fourme d’Ambert

Soft Cheeses: Brie and Camembert

These are the cheeses most visitors know, but the real thing tastes very different from export versions. Brie de Meaux and the stronger Brie de Melun come from the countryside east of Paris and are made from raw cow’s milk. Camembert de Normandie AOP is raw-milk and ladled into molds by hand; a plain “camembert” without the AOP mention can be made anywhere and from pasteurized milk.

Ask for a cheese that is à point (perfectly ripe): soft right to the center, without a chalky core, smelling of mushrooms rather than ammonia. Other soft cheeses worth trying are Chaource from Champagne, the heart-shaped Neufchâtel from Normandy and the rich triple-cream Brillat-Savarin.

Washed-Rind Cheeses: Époisses, Munster and Friends

Washed-rind cheeses are brushed with brine, beer or spirits while they age, which encourages an orange, sticky rind and a powerful smell. The paste inside is usually softer and gentler than the aroma suggests.

• Époisses (Burgundy): washed with marc de Bourgogne brandy, runny when ripe, often eaten with a spoon.
• Munster (Alsace and the Vosges): traditionally served with boiled potatoes and cumin seeds.
• Maroilles (northern France): square, bold, used in the regional tart called flamiche.
• Livarot and Pont-l’Évêque (Normandy): the other two classic Normandy cheeses alongside Camembert.
• Langres (Champagne): with a hollow on top that is sometimes filled with a splash of Champagne or marc.

If you like strong flavors, these are the cheeses that most surprise visitors. They also feature in our look at weird French foods for good reason.

Hard and Alpine Cheeses: Comté, Beaufort and More

The mountains of eastern France produce big wheels of cooked, pressed cheese that keep well and travel easily. Comté from the Jura is France’s best-selling AOP cheese and changes a lot with age: young Comté (around 4 to 8 months) is mild and milky, while 18 to 24 months or more brings crunchy crystals and flavors of roasted nuts and caramel. Try two ages side by side.

Beaufort from Savoie is firm and floral; the summer version made from mountain pasture milk is labeled Beaufort d’été or chalet d’alpage. Abondance, Tomme de Savoie and Reblochon (the base of tartiflette) complete the Alpine range, and raclette and fondue are made with these mountain cheeses. In the Massif Central, look for Saint-Nectaire, Cantal, Salers and Laguiole. In the Basque Country and Béarn, the sheep’s milk Ossau-Iraty is often served with black cherry jam.

A seasonal treat: Mont d’Or (Vacherin du Haut-Doubs) is made only in the cooler months and sold roughly from autumn to spring in a spruce box, one more reason to visit France in autumn. Locals bake it whole and dip potatoes into it.

Goat and Blue Cheeses

Goat cheeses

The Loire Valley and the Centre region are goat cheese country. Sainte-Maure de Touraine is a log with a straw running through it, Valençay a pyramid with a flat top, Selles-sur-Cher a disk dusted with ash, and Crottin de Chavignol a small drum from near Sancerre that pairs famously with Sancerre white wine. In the southwest, small Rocamadour disks are often served warm on salad, and in Provence Banon comes wrapped in chestnut leaves.

Blue cheeses

Roquefort is made from raw sheep’s milk and aged in the natural caves of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon in Aveyron, where several producers offer cave visits. Milder options include Bleu d’Auvergne, Fourme d’Ambert (one of the gentlest blues) and Bleu des Causses. Blues pair well with sweet wines such as Sauternes.

Cheese by Region

Every region has its own cheeses, so ordering local is the easiest way to eat well. Use this table as a cheat sheet when you travel.

Region	Cheeses to try	How locals eat them
Paris and Île-de-France	Brie de Meaux, Brie de Melun, Coulommiers	On a cheese plate or in a baguette sandwich
Normandy	Camembert, Livarot, Pont-l’Évêque, Neufchâtel	With cider or calvados; baked Camembert
Burgundy and Champagne	Époisses, Langres, Chaource	Cheese course; gougères (cheese puffs)
Alsace and Lorraine	Munster	With potatoes and cumin; with Alsace white wine
Jura and Franche-Comté	Comté, Morbier, Mont d’Or	Aged Comté with Jura vin jaune; baked Mont d’Or
Savoie and the Alps	Beaufort, Reblochon, Abondance, Tomme de Savoie	Fondue, raclette, tartiflette
Auvergne	Saint-Nectaire, Cantal, Salers, Fourme d’Ambert	Truffade (potatoes with tomme fraîche)
Loire Valley and Centre	Sainte-Maure, Valençay, Selles-sur-Cher, Crottin de Chavignol	With Loire white wines
Southwest and Pyrenees	Roquefort, Rocamadour, Ossau-Iraty	Roquefort with walnuts; Ossau-Iraty with cherry jam
Provence	Banon, local fresh goat cheeses	On salads or with olive oil and herbs

For the dishes these cheeses end up in, see our guides to traditional French dishes and what to eat in France.

How to Buy at a Fromagerie

A good fromager ages cheese in their own cellars and will happily guide you. Markets are just as good, and many towns have a weekly market with a cheese stall run by producers.

1. Greet first. Say “bonjour” when you walk in; it matters in any French shop.
2. Say when you will eat it. “Pour ce soir” (for tonight) or “pour dans trois jours” (in three days) lets the cheesemonger choose a cheese at the right stage.
3. Ask to taste. “Je peux goûter ?” is normal for hard cheeses like Comté.
4. Buy by weight or piece. For a plate for two, around 3 to 4 cheeses and 50 to 100 g of each is plenty. Small cheeses (crottins, Camemberts) are sold whole.
5. Build a balanced plate. One soft, one hard, one goat, one blue or washed-rind gives variety.
6. Ask for vacuum packing (“sous vide, s’il vous plaît”) if you are traveling with it; many shops can do it.

Supermarkets sell decent everyday cheese, but the experience and the choice in a fromagerie or market are far better. In Paris, the best food markets are an easy place to start.

Cheese Etiquette in France

• Order of the meal: cheese comes after the main course and before dessert, sometimes with a green salad. It is often offered as an alternative to dessert in restaurants (“fromage ou dessert”).
• Bread, not crackers: eat cheese on pieces of baguette or country bread. Butter is not used with cheese, except sometimes with Roquefort.
• Cut fairly: never cut the tip (“nose”) off a wedge of Brie; cut along the side so everyone gets some center and some rind. Round cheeses are cut like a cake, logs into rounds and hard wedges in slices.
• Take once: when a cheese platter is passed at a dinner, serve yourself once and pass it on; a second helping is offered, not taken.
• Rinds: eating the rind of soft cheeses is normal; leave hard, waxed or very crusty rinds.
• Wine: local pairings rarely go wrong, and white wines often match cheese better than heavy reds.

If you are invited to a French home, our guide to hosting a French dinner party explains how the cheese course fits into the evening.

Taking Cheese Home

Rules depend on where you are going, and they change, so check official guidance before you pack:

• United States: solid cheese without meat is generally allowed for personal use, but you must declare all food to US Customs and Border Protection. Liquid or very runny cheeses can be refused, and some specific cheeses have been restricted in the past.
• United Kingdom: since April 2025, travelers to Great Britain cannot bring cheese and other dairy or meat products from the EU for personal use, even if vacuum-packed or bought in duty free, because of animal disease controls. Check gov.uk for any update.
• Other countries: Australia, New Zealand and Canada have their own strict biosecurity rules; declare everything.
• Packing: hard cheeses travel best. Vacuum-pack, keep it cool and put strong washed-rind cheeses in several layers to protect your clothes.

Summary

French cheese makes most sense by family and by region: try a ripe Brie or Camembert, a pungent Époisses or Munster, an aged Comté, a Loire goat cheese and a Roquefort, then follow local specialties as you travel. Look for the AOP logo, shop at fromageries and markets, tell the cheesemonger when you will eat it, eat cheese with bread between the main course and dessert, and check customs rules before carrying any home.