List of French cheeses

This is a list of French cheeses documenting the varieties of cheeses, a milk-based food that is produced in wide-ranging flavors, textures, and forms, which are found in France. In 1962, French President Charles de Gaulle once asked, "How can you govern a country which has two hundred and forty-six varieties of cheese?"Les Mots du Général, Ernest Mignon (1962)) There is immense diversity within each variety of cheese, leading some to estimate between 1,000 and 1,600 distinct types of French cheese. French cheeses are broadly grouped into eight categories, 'les huit familles de fromage'.

Protected designation of origin Under the Common Agricultural Policy of the European Union, certain established cheeses, including many French varieties, are covered by a protected designation of origin (PDO), and other, less stringent, designations of geographical origin for traditional specialities, such as the EU Protected Geographical Indication (PGI). The systems has largely replaced national systems, such as the French appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) system, as any cheese registered as a PDO or PGI can not use the designation AOC anymore in order to avoid confusion.

French cheese production is classified under four categories, and PDO/PGI/(AOC) rules dictate which category or categories each protected cheese may be assigned to:

Fermier: farmhouse cheese, which is produced on the farm where the milk is produced. Artisanal: producer producing cheese in relatively small quantities using milk from their own farm, but may also purchase milk from local farms. Coopérative: dairy with local milk producers in an area that have joined to produce cheese. In larger coopératives quantities of cheese produced may be relatively large, akin to some industriel producers (many may be classed as factory-made). Industriel: factory-made cheese from milk sourced locally or regionally, perhaps all over France (depending on the AOC/PDO regulations for specific cheeses).

Some cheeses are classified, protected, and regulated under French law. The majority are classified as Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC), the highest level of protection. Some are also protected under the less stringent but still legally regulated designation Label Régional (LR). A few French cheeses are protected under the European Union's Protected Geographic Indication designation (PGI). Many familiar generic types, like Boursin, are not covered, while others originally from other countries may have certain varieties protected as a French cheese. This list differs from those of Chundi status.

CheeseYear designated appellationProducing regionType of milkDesignationAbondance1990Haute-SavoieCowPDOBanon2003Provence-Alpes-Côte d'AzurGoatPDOBeaufort1968SavoieCowPDOBleu d'Auvergne1975AuvergneCowPDOBleu des Causses1979Midi-PyrénéesCowPDOBleu de Gex Haut-Jura / Bleu de Septmoncel1977Franche-ComtéCowPDOBleu du Vercors-Sassenage1998Rhône-AlpesCowPDOBucheronLoire ValleyGoatPDOBrie de Meaux1980Île-de-FranceCowPDOBrie de Melun1980Île-de-FranceCowPDOBrillat-Savarin2015BurgundyCowPGIBrocciu Corse or Brocciu1983CorsicaSheepPDOBrousse du Rove2018Le RoveGoatPDOCabécou1988Midi-PyrénéesGoatAOCCancoillotten/aFranche-ComtéCowLRCantal, Fourme de Cantal1956AuvergneCowPDOCamembert de Normandie1983NormandyCowAOCCazelle de Saint Affriquen/aMidi-Pyrénées, Aveyron DepartmentSheepPDOChabichou du Poitou1990Poitou-CharentesGoatPDOChaource1970Champagne-ArdenneCowPDOCharolais2010Charolais, FranceGoatPDOChevrotin2003SavoyGoatPDOComté1952Franche-ComtéCowPDOCrottin de Chavignol/Chavignol1976Centre-Val de LoireGoatPDOÉpoisses1991BurgundyCowPDOFourme d'Ambert1972AuvergneCowPDOFourme de Montbrison1972AuvergneCowPDOLaguiole1961AuvergneCowPDOLangres1991Champagne-ArdenneCowPDOLivarot1972NormandyCowPDOMâconnais2006BurgundyGoatPDOMaroilles or Marolles1976Nord-Pas-de-CalaisCowPDOMimoletten/aNord-Pas-de-CalaisCowLRMont d'or, or Vacherin Mont d'Or du Haut-Doubs2006Franche-ComtéCowPDOMorbier2000Franche-ComtéCowPDOMunster or Munster-Géromé1969Alsace and Vosges départements in LorraineCowPDONeufchâtel1969NormandyCowPDOOssau-lraty1980AquitaineSheepPDOPélardon2000Languedoc-RoussillonGoatPDOPérail2025AveyronSheepPGIPicodon1983Rhône-AlpesGoatPDOPont-l'Évêque1976NormandyCowPDOPouligny-Saint-Pierre1972Centre-Val de LoireGoatPDO2015Franche-ComtéCowPGIReblochon or Reblochon de Savoie1958Savoie and Haute-SavoieCowPDORigotte de Condrieu2008LyonGoatPDORocamadour1996Midi-PyrénéesGoatPDORoquefort1925Midi-PyrénéesSheepPDOSainte-Maure de Touraine1990Centre-Val de LoireGoatPDOSaint-Marcellin2010Rhône-AlpesCowPGISaint-Nectaire1955AuvergneCowPDOSaint-Félicienn/aRhône-AlpesCowLRSalers1979AuvergneCowPDOSelles-sur-Cher1975Centre-Val de LoireGoatPDOSoumaintrain (fr)2014SoumaintrainCowPGITome des Bauges2002SavoieCowPDOTome fraîche n/aAuvergne and AubracCowAOCTomme de Savoien/aSavoieCowPGITomme des Pyrénéesn/aMidi-PyrénéesCowPGITrou du Crun/aBurgundy, Côte-d'Or DepartmentCowAOCValençay1998Centre-Val de LoireGoatPDO

Other cheeses

Abbaye de Belloc Abbaye de Tamié Abbaye de Timadeuc Cheese Affidélice Autun Avalin Babybel Baguette laonnaise Bilou Blanc à fromage - Vosges Bleu de Bresse Bleu de Termignon Bon Grivois Boulette d'Avesnes Boursin cheese Brie Brie Noir (Black Brie) Brillat-Savarin Broccio Passu Bucheron Cabécou Cabrinu Cabriou Cachaille Cacouyard Callebasse Camembert du Calvados - Normandie Cancoillotte Cantal Entre-Deux Canut Caprice des Dieux Carré de l'Est - Lorraine Cathare Chamois d'or Chaource Chatou Chaubier Chaumes Chevillon - Haute-Marne Citeaux - Burgundy Coulommiers Coutances Délice de Bourgogne Délice du Calvados Doux de Montagne Ecorce de sapin Édel de Cléron Epenouse Explorateur Faisselle Fédou Feuille de Dreux Feuille du Limousin Ficello Figou Fromage blanc Fromage frais Fromager d'Affinois Fougerus Foudjou Fourme d’Asco Fourme de Cantal Gaperon Gros Lorrain - Vosges La Vache qui Rit Lavort Mamirollais Mamirolle Metton Mont des Cats Mottin charentais Mousseron Niolo Olivet cendré Ortolan P'tit Basque - Pyrenees P'tit Louis Paletou Pavé d'Auge - Normandy Pavé d'Isigny - Normandy Pavin Pérassu Port Salut Raclette Rocamadour Rochebarron Roucoulons Roue de Brielove Saint Agur Saint Albray Saint-André Saint-Paulin Saint-Rémy Spinosien Tarentais Tome d'Arles Tome de la Brigue Tome de la Vésubie Tome des Bauges - Savoie, Haute-Savoie Tomme au Fenouil Tomme Boudane Tomme Butone Tomme de Lévéjac Tomme du Jura Tomme du Revard Toucy Tourrée de l'aubier Tracle Trappista Trèfle Tricorne de Marans Trinqueux U Muntagnolu Vallé d'Ossau Velay Venaco Vesontio Vieux-Boulogne Vieux Samer Void Xaintray

List of French cheeses

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