Fresh cheeses

Cheese in its most simple form. It refers to a curd derived from lactic fermentation alone. The drainage takes place in a special porous strainer called a “faisselle,” or in vats, depending on the method (hand-crafted or industrial). As soon as the fresh cheese is drained, it is packed directly.

Soft-ripened cheeses with flowered rinds

With a supple and creamy texture, soft-ripened cheeses with flowered rinds are the product of a either a prodominantly lactic curd (which gives the acidic flavor to Neufchâtel or Chaource) or a curd with a strong presence of rennet (which gives the sweet flavor to Brie or Camembert). The drainage is accelerated by a slight mechanic intervention. After the salting, drying, and sprinkling of “penicillium,” a light, white duvet (“the flower”) appears, which reddens with time and gives the flowered rind its name.

Soft-ripened cheeses with washed rinds

They are the product of a mixed coagulation (obtained with both lactic ferments and rennet). During aging, the cheeses are frequently rotated (2 to 3 times per week), then brushed and washed with a solution of saltwater enriched with a certain cheese bacteria. The rind becomes increasingly smooth, shiny, and supple, then takes on a red-orange color. As for the velvety interior, it reveals a multitude of flavors ranging from very sweet to quite powerful (Pont l’Eveque, Munster).

Pierced cheeses (or blue cheeses)

Their particularity is the presence of blue mold that “pierces” the cheese. At the molding stage, the curd is sown with penicillium. Then during aging, the cheeses are pricked with long, thin needles to facilitate air circulation and to stimulate the development of the distinctive mold so characteristic of Roquefort, Bleu de Gex, and many others.

Hard, uncooked cheeses

They are produced from a rennet curd that is barely heated before being pressed, enough to sufficiently keep its moisture so that it can undergo a relatively long aging process : from 15 days to several months for certain cheeses. Among the most famous are Saint-Nectaire, Cantal, and Reblochon.

Hard, cooked cheeses

These cheeses are also made from a rennet curd, but in this case they are strongly heated (up to 131°F) in oder to encourage drainage. The cheeses are generally large in size and require from at least 3 months of aging (for Comté) to sometimes more than 9 months (for Beaufort).

Goat cheese, with natural rinds

Goat cheese is not distinguished by its production methods but by its milk. Thus, depending on the methods of production, goat cheese can be divided into different families. The most classic goat cheeses are produced like fresh cheese and eaten either fresh or dried, but they can also be aged or covered in ash.