Is cheese traditional in France?
Chloe Ramirez
Updated on April 02, 2026
Is cheese traditional in France?
The influence of microclimates and history created an array of cheeses so spectacular that they required their own course at dinner: The cheese course, a sacred tradition in French cuisine. The cheese course is usually served directly after the main course, but before dessert, or sometimes instead of dessert.
What do the French serve with cheese?
The French don’t like serving cheese with crackers because they believe that they diminish the fantastic taste of their cheeses. Therefore, cheese is served with bread, although it doesn’t necessarily have to be a baguette.
Do the French like cheese?
The French love of cheese is legendary, and absolutely real. Recent surveys show that 96% of French people eat cheese, often daily. But for the French, cheese is more than something you eat (or don’t; after all, not every French person loves cheese).
Is French cheese good for you?
Another French study this year found that cheese, rich in saturated fat as it is, isn’t harmful for health when kept to two daily servings. And new research suggests that they have the right idea: people who eat full-fat dairy tend to be less obese than those who eat low-fat dairy.
Why do French love cheese so much?
Regular, early exposure to a wide variety of flavours, textures – not to mention some very funky smells – turns each generation of French children into adult connoisseurs. This is why French people love cheese so much.
What are the famous cheese in France?
France provides us with a thousand different cheese varieties, including soft cheeses (Camembert, Coulommiers, Munster), blue-veined cheeses (Roquefort, Bleu d’Auvergne), pressed cooked cheeses (Gruyere, Comté, Parmesan), 45 controlled designations of origin cheeses and 38 protected designations of origin cheeses.
What kind of cheese do they eat in France?
Recent surveys show that 96% of French people eat cheese, often daily. But for the French, cheese is more than something you eat (or don’t; after all, not every French person loves cheese). Le fromage (cheese in French) has transcended the role of food and is a cultural touchstone.
What do people eat for lunch in France?
Anytime between 12PM and 2PM is considered as a “normal” lunch time but most people choose to eat between 12:30 and 13:30. A typical French lunch includes: Cheese – it usually is a platter with several types of cheese and you take a piece of each (or whichever one you want) Dessert, yoghurt or fruit – desserts are patisseries.
Why is cheese so important in French society?
Cheese is so important in France, even the citizenship test includes a couple questions on fromage. French cheese etiquette involves correct times, orders and methods that as an American I never had to learn to operate in society. But cheese manners matter here, so if you’re planning a trip or a move it’s good to learn the basics.
What do you need to know about French cheese etiquette?
French cheese etiquette involves correct times, orders and methods that as an American I never had to learn to operate in society. But cheese manners matter here, so if you’re planning a trip or a move it’s good to learn the basics. Before meeting my husband I didn’t really like cheese, which is basically grounds to get me kicked out of France.
How often do people in France Eat Cheese?
The French love of cheese is legendary, and absolutely real. Recent surveys show that 96% of French people eat cheese, often daily. But for the French, cheese is more than something you eat (or don’t; after all, not every French person loves cheese).
Where does the best cheese come from in France?
By 77 AD, Pliny the Elder claimed that the best cheese (to the Romans, at least) was from places like the city of NÎmes and the Lozère region, both located in Gaul – in other words, modern-day France. Still, despite its relatively long presence in France, exactly why cheese is so important in French cuisine and culture is a bit of a mystery.
Why do people like to eat in France?
France is proud of its well-deserved reputation when it comes to cuisine. The French know how to cook and make yummy dishes better than anyone. For this reason, food became one of the most important aspects of French culture. Eating in France is a process and there is a lot to know about it.
How is cheese passed around in French dining?
French dining etiquette dictates that a platter of cheese should be passed around to each guest. Each guest slices off the amount of cheese that they’d like to eat. However this isn’t always done in reality. Sometimes the cheese platter is placed in the middle of the table for everyone to help themselves.