Getting to Know Your French Cheesemonger and 6 Must-Try Cheeses

Ordering cheese properly in France has been a goal of mine ever since I asked for ‘strong’ cheese at a fromagerie in Paris and received a firm wedge enhanced with notes of IPA (I blame the presence of an American husband on that one). You’d think I would recall how to say fromage puant (stinky cheese) or remember that dur means firm cheese when I first found myself at a cheese counter in Bordeaux. But, no..the moment I entered the shop, squeaked out a bonjour, my mind went blank and my cheese cravings replaced all prior knowledge of any French I’d learned.

I’m not sure if it was the mesmerizing display of fromage behind well lit glass, the links of saucisson hanging from wooden stands, or the wall of confiture, but I felt like an 8 year old kid in an 80’s Toys R Us with a saved allowance to burn. All other cheese buying trips in France had been for a quick bite in the park or to snack on at my hotel. This time, however things were different. Now, I lived nearby with a fridge of my own and could take home as much cheese as I wanted.