94 Brie-lliant French Cheese Names Everyone Should Know

Cheese is everyone’s favorite, but how can you choose between thousands of varieties of cheeses?

Did you know that France alone has over 2,000 different types of cheeses! It is a hub for cheeses and is known for its huge variety.

In this list of French cheese names, you’ll find different types of French cheeses like goat cheese, blue cheese, and hard cheese.

Smelly French Cheese Names

From a list of over 1200 different cheese types in France, smelly cheeses stand out on their own. They are often made from raw milk or unpasteurized milk. Even with their strong and stinky smell, people love to eat them. Here’s a list of a few smelly French cheese names that are famous across the world.

Munster, a soft and creamy cheese made of raw cow’s milk. It takes a minimum of 21 days to age. It has a strong smell with a subtle taste.

Maroilles, a soft cheese that is also one of the oldest types of French cheese.

Vieux-Boulogne, aged 5 to 7 weeks and is known for its stinky smell. It is a soft, spear-ripened cheese.

Pont l’Eveque, made from cow’s milk and was originated in Normandy.

Camembert De Normandie, a soft and bloomy cheese produced in the Camembert village.

Vieux Lille, known as ‘Puant de Lille’. It ages in about three months. It has a strong salty flavor and a sticky texture.

Boulette d’Avesnes, a cheese whose name means ‘ball from Avesnes’. It is a soft cheese that should be eaten within 30 days.

Epoisses, one of the most famous cheeses that originated from Burgundy.

Trou du Cru, a cheese made from pasteurized cow’s milk and is nicknamed ‘petite Epoisses’.

Livarot, cheese made from pasteurized and unpasteurized cow’s milk. It ages in 3 months.

Crottin de Chavignol, a goat cheese made from raw goat’s milk. Crottin de chavignol has a goaty and nutty flavor.

Banon, a cream cheese named after a village near Albion Plateau. It originated in Provence, France. It tastes goaty.

Reblochon, a smear-ripened cheese made in the Savoie region of southeastern France.

Brie de Meaux, a royal soft cheese. Brie de Meaux is a popular fresh cheese. Brie de Meaux is prepared from the raw milk of a cow.

Saint Marcelin, a small cheese that is dry, soft, and creamy fresh cheese.

Casgiu Merzu, a sheep’s milk cheese. It is rotten and infected by maggots. It is known as the world’s most dangerous cheese.

French Blue Cheese Names

French cheeses are very popular all over the world. However, the Blue cheeses or ‘the Blue-veined cheeses’ are the most liked. France was the place where blue cheese was discovered.

Let’s look at a few French Blue kinds of cheese.

Bleu d’Auvergne AOC (appellation d'origine contrôlée), a cow milk cheese. Bleu d’Auvergne has a special perfumed taste.

Bleu De Chevre, a traditional rare french goat cheese produced in Auvergne. It has a soft and supple texture and salty, creamy, and goaty flavor.

Roquefort, originated from the regions of Causses and Aveyron valleys. Diderot declared it the ‘king of cheese’.

Bleu des Causses, also known as Aveyron’s blue, is a blue-veined cheese made from raw cow’s milk.

Fourme d’Ambert, a soft variety and has a mushroom flavor. It takes a month to age. It has a supple texture.

Bleu Termignon, seeded with a tiny fungus. It is also known as the Bleu Mont Cenis or Bleu Bessans.

Persillé de chèvre, a french blue cheese produced from goat’s milk.

Fourme de Montbrison, made from cow’s milk and originated from the Loire region.

Bresse Bleu, one of the creamiest blue cheeses in France. It is made with whole cow’s milk.

Bleu de Gex AOP, in southern Franche-Comté. It is made from marbled paste and cow’s milk.

La Roche, a blue cheese that originated from Rhone-Alpes. It is made from pasteurized cow's milk. This cheese takes about three weeks to mature. It has a creamy and soft texture.

Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage, made from a mix of warm, raw fresh milk and last evening's cow's milk.

Rochebaron, a blue cheese made from cow’s or sheep’s milk with a soft and creamy texture and mushroomy flavor.

Saint Agur, originated from Auvergne. It is made with cow's milk and takes 60 days to mature.

Fancy French Cheese Names

France is known for its variety of cheeses. If you try some of these fancy cheeses, you won’t be disappointed. Here’s a list of such cheeses for you.

Reblochon, originated from Thones valley. The cheese is very creamy. It takes about four to five weeks for a thin slice to age.

Bouton de Culotte, originates from Mâconnais and Haut-Beaujolais areas in Burgundy.

Mont d’Or, a soft cheese exclusively composed of raw milk. Mont D'or is also known as ‘boëte cheese’ or ‘strapped cheese’.

Cure Nantais, nicknamed ‘Priest Cheese’ or ‘Nantais Cheese’. It is a soft cow’s milk cheese that is molded in three shapes

Selles- Sur- Cher, a soft goat cheese with a moist clay texture and salty, goaty, nutty flavor. This cheese is originating from Western Sologne and the Cher region.

Brocciu, a goat cheese that is produced on Corsica Island. It acts as a lactose-free replacement for the Italian Ricotta cheese. One of the most popular varieties of cheese.

Langres, distinguished by a little basin at its top. The basin is there because it has never been flipped.

Brie de Melun, one of the royal cheeses. Brie de Melun matures in 4-12 weeks.

Ossau-Iraty, a pressed and uncooked ewe cheese produced in Pays-Basque and Bearn regions.

Edam, a red-colored cheese that is produced in Bordeaux.

Coutances, a soft French cheese made from cow’s milk. It is known for its rich and creamy texture and intense flavor.

Picodon, made from goat's milk. It matures in at least 14 days. The flavor is fresh and clean.

Brin d'amour, a soft cheese. It has a creamy texture and tangy flavor. It is to be grated over pasta and served with white wine.

Raclette de Savoie, means to scrape. It is a semi-soft cheese made from cow's milk. Raclette de Savoie has a pleasant flavor and aroma.

Fromage Blanc, a fresh cheese which is also known as ‘white cheese’. It is creamy and soft.

Boursin, a soft cheese that is available in different flavors. It was first produced in Normandy.

Brillat-Savarin, a soft triple cream cheese with 72% fat content. Its aging takes 1-2 weeks.

Saint-Paulin, originated in the region of Bretagne. It is a semi-soft creamy cheese with a firm texture. It is also known as the Heavenly Cheese which is soft creamy.

Le Brin, made with cow's milk. This cheese has a washed rind. It has a tender texture and nutty aroma. Its flavor is buttery and sweet.

Morbier, a two centuries old cheese. It is soft and it takes from 45 days to 3 months to mature. It has a rich and creamy texture.

Carré de l'Est, a very famous french cheese. It takes five weeks to age. Its name refers to the region of origin and its shape is square.

Cancoillotte, an acidic and buttery flavored cheese that is also known as ‘Fromage Fondu’.

Petit-Suisse, originated in Normandy. This cheese has a smooth and creamy texture and is known for its sweet and tangy flavor.

Caprice des dieux, a soft-ripened cheese made from pasteurized cow's milk. It has a nutty and buttery flavor.

Saint-Félicien, a soft French cheese with a strong mushroomy aroma irrespective of the taste. It is paired with red or white wine.

Port Salut, a soft cheese that is made from cow’s milk. It has a creamy and smooth texture with a mild flavor.

Chaumes, a semi-soft cheese that takes 4 weeks to mature. It has a creamy and smooth texture and a nutty flavor.

Coulommiers, have a fat content of 40%. It is creamy and buttery. This cheese takes at least 10 days to age.

Neufchatel, a white rind. It comes in different shapes such as round, brick, or square. It has a mushroomy and nutty flavor.

Délice de Bourgogne, made from cow’s milk. Délice de Bourgogne is extra creamy and has a velvety white rind.

Carré Mirabelle, soft, square-shaped, deep flavored cheese.

Cheese Fondue, a very famous cheese in France and all over the world. It is served in a pot and is eaten by dipping bread.

Names Of French Goat Cheese

Goat cheeses are cheeses made from goat milk. It is available in different varieties from hard to soft cheeses. Let’s look at some of the famous goat cheeses.

Cathare, a French goat cheese that originates from Languedoc-Roussillon. Made from goat’s raw milk, this cheese matures from 2-4 weeks.

Coeur de Chevre, by its heart shape. The flavor is salty and slightly spicy while its texture is creamy and smooth.

Pelardon des Cevennes, a soft goat cheese whose name means ‘pepper’. This little rounded and flat cheese is made from goat’s milk.

Cabecou d’Autan, a soft goat cheese that is produced from Poitevine, Saanen, or Alpine goats.

Bûcheron, a goat cheese that has a soft and gooey layer with a lemon flavor.

Faisselle, a fresh white cheese made from goat’s milk, sheep’s milk, or cow’s milk. It has a soft and delicate texture.

Buche de Chevre, a french goat cheese that originates from the Poitou-Charentes region. It is a soft cheese made from goat's milk.

Fromage frais, a french soft cheese made from cow's, goat's, or sheep's milk. It has a smooth and creamy texture.

Florette, a mild cheese from the Rhône-Alpes. It has a nutty and sweet aroma. It is goat cheese for people who don’t like goat cheese.

Chabichou du Poitou, produced in the Poitou-Charentes region in the Loire. It is slightly drier and creamy.

Tomme de Chèvre Bethmale, made from goat’s milk. It has a slightly salty crunch and mild flavor.

Valençay, has a mild and goaty fruit flavor. It also has truffles and an earthy aroma.

Sainte-Maure Caprifeuille, a soft cheese made from goat’s milk. It has a creamy flavor.

Goat Brie, mild and creamy. It is less smelly than other Brie cheeses.

Sainte-Maure De Touraine, produced in the Touraine Province. It is considered one of the classic cheeses of France and is named after the town Sainte-Maure-de-Touraine.

Le Pico, a goat cheese with an authentic and slightly characteristic flavor. This cheese originated from the Périgord region of Southwest France.

Palet De Chevre, has a soft, smooth, and mild taste. It is produced in and around central France.

Mothais-Sur-Feuille, originates from the Poitou-Charentes region of Western France. It has a creamy texture and a soft and delicate taste.

Le Chevrot, a goat cheese that ages about 3-5 weeks. This cheese has a yeasty taste and a moist texture.

Le Cornilly, a fresh and natural cheese produced in the Pays de la Loire region. It is a goat cheese with a tangy and nutty flavor.

Popular French Hard Cheese Names

Cheeses can be soft, semi-soft, hard, semi-hard, and more. Here are some of the hard French cheeses, cheese lovers would know.

Etorki, smooth and creamy. It has an earthy aroma and takes 3-6 months to age.

Raclette, a type of hard cheese that is used to melt cheese at the tables in restaurants. It is a melty cheese that isn't too liquidy. It is made from cow’s milk.

Mimolette, a salty and buttery flavored cheese with a fruity aroma. It is also known as Boule de Lille.

Gruyère, a sweet and salty cheese. It is made from cow’s milk.

Emmental, cheap but not that tasty. This cheese is easily available in supermarkets and is paired best with red wine.

Comté, a hard cheese with 45% fat content. Its taste can vary from being milky and spicy to being fruity.

Fourme de Cantal, an uncooked cow’s milk cheese, is one of the oldest cheeses in French history.

Cantal, about 2-6 months for a middle-aged Cantal, and more than 6 months for an old Cantal.

Beaufort, a firm hard cheese made from raw cow’s milk. It is a part of the Gruyère family.

Bethmale, a semi-hard cheese made from raw cow's milk. It has a mild and rich flavor and earthy and mushroomy aroma.

Petit Basque, a cheese with a creamy texture. It has a fresh and milky aroma with a sweet and nutty flavor.

Saint-Nectaire, a semi-hard cheese with a silky and creamy texture as it melts in the mouth. It is paired perfectly with a glass of red wine.