As we all know, France is the most well-known wine producer in the world, and of course France is also a big country of cheese. In the eyes of the French, wine is like a gift from God, and having cheese is equivalent to having happiness, and the combination of the two makes them happy.
1. France: the most fascinating cheese country
French cheese retail location
As a drinker, you may envy the French for having the best wines in the world; yet as a foodie, you can't help but envy the delicious cheese here. Back in 1962, French President Charles de Gaulle said, "Comment voulez-vous gouverner un pays qui a deux cent quarante-six varietes de fromage? ）”。 It can be said that today in France, almost every place has its own representative cheese. According to incomplete statistics, there are at least 350-450 different types of cheese in France, each with many different variants. So the French can proudly say: "365 days a year, I eat cheese every day without a heavy sample!" ”
2. Like wine, French cheese has an AOC region
Regulated by the Eu's Common Agricultural Policy, some cheese-producing areas in France are also included in the Appellation of Origin Protection (PDO) system. French cheese is divided into 4 grades.
(1) Farm cheese (Fermier): cheese produced on farms that produce milk;
(2) Artisanal: Producers produce cheese in relatively small quantities, using milk from their own farms or from other local farmers;
(3) Cooperative cheese: Some local milk producers join the cooperative to produce cheese together. Some large cooperatives may produce a relatively large amount of cheese, similar to some industrial producers, and some even directly classify it as factory cheese;
(4) Factory cheese (Industriel): The milk used may come from the local area or even any part of France, depending on the regulations of the AOC/PDO.
3. What are the famous cheeses in France?
In France, a total of 56 cheeses are listed as protected. Of these, 48 are included in the highest grade of AOC system, and the following are the more well-known cheeses and their production regions.
(1) Conte cheese
Comte, the largest cheese producing region in France, comes from the eastern part of France and was founded in 1958. The cheese produced here is an unpasteurized milk cheese that ages from 8-36 months. On the palate, Kongtai cheese is semi-hard, tough and flexible, with a slight sweetness. In terms of aroma, aged cheeses tend to have aromas of preserved apricots, roasted hazelnuts, walnuts and leather, and the most memorable thing is the long aftertaste in the mouth, so about 40% of the French people are good at this bite.
(2) Rockfort cheese
Founded in 1925, roquefort AOC from the southern region of France produces blue cheese made from sheep's milk, the most prestigious blue cheese in the world and recognized as the king of cheese. The European Union stipulates that Rockfort cheese must be aged in a natural cave in the Combalou mountains of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon. The humid and cool environment here is very suitable for the growth of penicillium, and it is this amazing microorganism that makes Rockfort cheese have some blue-blue lines and a pungent smell. In addition, the color of sheep's milk is not milky yellow like milk, but snow white, so except for those lines, the cheese as a whole is white, the overall taste is milder, then a little sweet, and then a smokey smell runs out, and soon it is covered by the salty aftertaste.
(3) Carmen père cheese
Camembert is a milk cheese with a softer texture and authentic AOC cheese can only be made from unpasteurized raw milk. It first appeared in the 18th century in The Normandy region of northern France, where it is said that during the French Revolution, a peasant woman hid from a priest who had fled brie, and in return for the favor, the priest taught the peasant woman how to make cheese; later, during the First World War, this cheese was also favored by the French army, so in French history, culture and literature, this cheese occupies a crucial position. The cheese region was officially included in the AOC in 1983 and is now known worldwide.
(4) Brie cheese
Brie is very similar to Camembert cheese and is also a softer milk cheese. In France, there are many varieties of brie cheese, of which brie de Meaux and Brie de Melun are recognized by AOC regulations, both of which were AOC certified in 1980, with the latter tending to have a more intense and spicy taste.
Brie cheese is widely known in China, and it is said that many people like cheese because of it, which shows its attractiveness. Brie cheese has a long history, and is said to have been the favorite cheese of Charlemagne in France in the 8th century; Louis XVI asked for the last bite of brie cheese before he was imprisoned; in 1814, when European heads of government gathered in Vienna to discuss a policy of lasting and stable peace, the officials attending the meeting debated fiercely about which country produced the most delicious cheese, and finally through the competition, Brie cheese was elected champion. It became the most delicious cheese in the world.
(5) Epovars cheese
Epoisses de Bourgogne is said to have been a favorite of Napoleon and is often eaten with The Chambertin wine that is local to Bourgogne, and the famous French gourmand Brillat-Savarin calls it the "King of Cheese". This is a heavy-flavored milk cheese, usually washed in brine and marc de Bourgogne locally produced in Burgundy, and during a 6-week age, each piece of cheese undergoes a wash process three times a week and is manually brushed with bacteria on the surface of the cheese. Usually, this cheese has a special smell of milk, the texture is delicate, and it dissolves in the mouth,
4. Cheese and wine pairing
It is often said that local cuisine is naturally the best match for local wines, and cheese and wine are no exception.
(1) The combination of red wine and cheese
In general, heavy red wines such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Zinfandel are suitable for pairing with strong, salty cheeses, while lighter red wines such as Pinot Noir and Gamay are paired with finely flavored washed cheeses or medium-hard cheeses with nutty flavors. If you prefer a more gentle style, try Brie cheese or Camembert cheese.
(2) The pairing of white wine and cheese
Epovas cheese from Burgundy and the local Chardonnay are a perfect match, and it is said that this cheese itself has a smell, but when paired with Chardonnay, its smell miraculously disappears, showing the importance of cheese and wine pairing! In addition, Conte cheese is a cheese produced in places such as Jura, so it echoes the local rice wine (Vin Jaune) and Vin de Paille (straw wine). Of course, the Loire Valley region of France also produces well-known goat cheese, which not only contains high calcium content, but also has a harder texture, especially mature goat cheese will develop a special spicy aroma, which is very suitable for white wines such as Sauvignon Blanc.
It is worth mentioning that dietitians have suggested that eating cheese with wine 30 minutes before bedtime can help lose weight, because drinking some wine before going to bed can help sleep; and eating some cheese can help the human body produce heat, accelerate metabolism, and achieve the effect of consuming body fat while sleeping.
5, the Happiness of the French eating cheese
France is a romantic country, and the French are probably the most enjoyable people in the world. French culture is extremely diverse, in addition to the fields of literature and art, in terms of wine and food, the French people have taken their rich creativity to the extreme. A Frenchman once said: "Just a good cheese, accompanied by a glass of grape wine and a piece of freshly baked bread, is already the most supreme enjoyment on earth." ”
Indeed, just as they love wine and bread, the French have long since reached the point of universal popularity, and they also believe that having cheese is equivalent to having happiness. Some French even warn their children to beware of those who do not like wine, cheese, truffles and music, because it is a symbol of tastelessness. In their eyes, a meal without cheese is like a beautiful woman with one eye missing. Moreover, they firmly believe that it is bacteria that give cheese the soul, and cheese also happens to be the soul of the country, as brilliant as the soul of wine culture.
【Author's Profile】Wine Sister, senior editor of the Red Wine Encyclopedia, senior sommelier, super invincible beauty singer, to "eat for the flesh, drink for the soul" as the ideal of life, do not talk about state affairs, only talk about eating and drinking smoothly talk about the wind and moon.
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