France is not the only player when it comes to fromage. Outstanding cheeses are being produced in Great Britain, Switzerland and even the US. And the most recent winner of the World Cheese Awards – Nidelven Blå – comes from Norway.
Still, no other cheese-producing nation can match France in terms of the sheer number of exceptional cheeses. The French tradition of cheesemaking began more than 2,000 years ago and, since then, they have figured out a thing or two: which animal breeds thrive best in certain areas, how to harness moulds and bacteria to produce safe cheeses with deliciously complex flavours, and how to pair them with wine.
Paris is a thrilling place to sample produce because of the city’s high concentration of excellent fromageries. If the new cheese museum is not an option, just stroll to a nearby shop. Look for the word “affineur” as these sellers compete to source cheese from the most celebrated producers and then ripen the cheeses to perfection. The finished products taste nothing like their pasteurised or supermarket counterparts.
Young and fresh cheeses made from goat’s milk are in season during the summer. When sampling one from a top fromagerie, wild herbs and green grass can be tasted. The goats were grazing on these only days or weeks ago and the flavours come through in a direct way.
If I had to pick just one French cheese, it would be Brie de Meaux. This real-deal brie has an edible rind with aromas of mushrooms, cauliflower, damp forest leaves and even oysters. Pasteurised brie, which is often exported or sold in supermarkets, can taste boring and artificial by comparison. A good affineur will ask when you plan to eat your Brie de Meaux in order to sell you a cheese that will be perfectly ripe on that day.
There are so many great fromageries in Paris, but my favourite is Laurent Dubois. We visit his shop on our French Cheese Explosion tour and select produce to taste at a nearby wine cellar. The Seine River is just a few blocks away if you want to host a picnic along the water.
• Meg Zimbeck is the editor of Paris by Mouth, which runs food tours including The French Cheese Explosion.
