Fromage Bleu: 11 French Blue Cheeses Compared

A Sampler's Guide to Roquefort and Ten Noteworthy Others

Mar 29, 2008 Larry Ervin

France and Italy may feud over whose blue came first, but you can't beat the French for sheer variety. You may have to go online to find some of these, but it's worth it.

When it comes to cheese, France is best known for three broad varieties:

Brie, Camembert and similar soft cheeses
Chevre and other goat cheeses
Roquefort and other blue-veined cheeses

This article focuses on the blues. And there are scores of them. As Charles DeGaulle famously said:

"Comment voulez-vous gouverner un pays qui a deux cent quarante-six variétés de fromage?" How can you govern a country which has 246 kinds of cheese? (from Les Mots du Général, Ernest Mignon (1962)

Make no mistake. They're not all Roquefort wannabes. What makes them different? Part of it is the animal: cow or sheep or goat (or buffalo! Not here, That's the Brits ). Part of it is method: using raw or pasteurized milk, how long the cheese is aged. But the big factor is terrior, or as a real estate agent would put it: "Location - Location - Location." Just as with wine, terroir encompasses everything that goes into the sense of place:

What grasses, herbs and wildflowers the animal is grazing on;
The minerals in the soil;
The water they drink; and even
The air they breathe.

Whether you're picking a cheese to crumble over a steak, or one to snuggle up next to a wedge of pear, or one simply to spread on a hunk of baguette, here's a sampler of French blues and some aspects of each one's terroir to help with the decision. (Part of the decision may be expense, so also included is an indication of relative cost based on various web sources.)

Roquefort

Made in Aveyron, Rouergue from raw milk from Red Lacaune sheep
Cave-aged 3 months minimum - Soft, slightly crumbly texture - Intensely pungent flavor
$$$-$$$$$

Bleu Chevre

Made in the Loire region from goat's milk
Aged about 3 weeks - Thick and smooth texture - Soft blue tang combined with goat cheese flavor
$$$$

Bleu d'Auvergne

Made in the Auvergne region from unpasteurized cow's milk
Aged 4 weeks minimum - Crumbly - Spicy, salty and intensely pungent without being sharp or biting
$$$

Bleu de Basque

Made in the Basque region on the French side of the Pyrénées from sheep's milk
Aged 3-5 months - Creamy and slightly crumbly - Rich and complex flavor without being overly sharp or salty
$$$ - $$$$$

Bleu de Bresse

Made in Bresse from pasteurized cow's milk
Aged 2-4 weeks - Creamy, brie-like texture - mild, mushroomy flavor
$$$$$

Bleu de Gex (also known as Bleu du Haut Jura and Bleu de Septmoncel)

Made in the Jura Mountain region of Comte from unpasteurized cow's milk
Aged 2-3 months - Supple, creamy texture - Rich, nutty, fruity flavor, milder than Roquefort
$$$$

Bleu de Laqueueille

Made in the mountainous Auvergne region from the milk of Salers cows
Aged about 3 months (Only made during the summer and autumn months) - Creamy - Salty, spicy, fresh and full-bodied flavor
$$

Bleu des Causses

Made fin Rouergue from unpasteurized cow's milk
Aged 3-6 months in limestone caves in Peyrelade, in the heart of Tarn Gorge - Creamy and crumbly - Sharply tangy taste, especially in winter
$$$$

Fourme d'Ambert

Made in Ambert, Auvergne from raw cow's milk
Cave-aged 2 months minimum - Creamy texture - - Buttery, mild flavor
$$

Fourme au Sauterne

Made with Fourme d'Ambert (see above), from raw cow's milk
Ripened 2 months with white Sauterne wine
$$$$$

Saint Agur

Made in Monts du Velay, Auvergne from pasteurized cow's milk enriched with enough cream to qualify as double-cream
Aged 2 months minimum - Creamy texture, spreads easily and melts well - Buttery, mild, spicy flavor, not as salty as other varieties
$$$

Try some Cheesy Recipes.

Love Blue Cheese? Check out the Blue Cheese Lover's Cookbook:

Hungry for more? Check out more recipes that demystify the basic techniques and ingredients of French Cuisine. Explore the cuisine of France's Regions beyond Paris

The copyright of the article Fromage Bleu: 11 French Blue Cheeses Compared in French Cuisine is owned by Larry Ervin. Permission to republish Fromage Bleu: 11 French Blue Cheeses Compared in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.