Why are there so many different types of cheeses in France?


Cheese production has a long history in France. It is believed that cheese was first introduced into France during Roman times. After the fall of the Roman empire, monasteries continued the production of cheese. Experimentation within the monasteries, regional isolation and differences in climate and vegetation across France lead to the creation of regional varieties of cheese (some of which still exist today). From about the 13th century onwards, cheese production started to develop on French farms. Over time, the recipes for making cheese were handed down from generation to generation (and tweaked and improved by each generation), further increasing the number of varieties. 

As a result, today it is commonly considered that there are between 350 and 400 different types of French cheese – although there are actually almost 1,000 varieties! These cheeses are made from cows, sheep, goats or buffalo milk.

Charles de Gaulle, a famous French president, once asked - "How can you govern a country which has 246 varieties of cheese?" It would be interesting to hear what his thoughts would be today now that there are almost 1000 different varieties.