My earliest memory of cheese takes me back to a childhood tea party: complete with a hand-painted children’s tea set. While the table was full of tiny cups and saucers, the food wasn’t exactly what you’d expect at a proper tea—this was the ‘90s in Western Pennsylvania and our tea parties featured forkfuls of bright orange Kraft macaroni and cheese. In fact, my first “cheese” wasn’t really cheese at all, but the powdery yellow stuff we all grew up associating with cheddar.
As embarrassing as it is to admit now, that’s where it all began. Growing up, my dad was the picky eater in our family, sticking to neon-orange “cheddar,” rubbery American slices, or shredded mozzarella on pizza. While mom was a bit more adventurous, she still leaned toward the typical cheeses found in an American household, like mozzarella, Monterey Jack, or Swiss.
So when I eventually moved to France and started attending apéros, with servers strolling past with massive cheese boards, I couldn’t help but feel like I was missing out on a grand cultural experience. This past summer, I decided to go on what I’m calling a “cheese adventure,” trying three new cheeses each week and expanding my palate. Along the way, I discovered a list of mild French cheeses that even picky eaters—like me—can enjoy. Whether you’re introducing children to French cheese, or just trying to broaden your own tastes, this guide is perfect for those who want to take a gentler approach to the world of fromages.
The Easiest French Cheeses to Fall in Love With
1. Raclette
I couldn’t start this love letter to French cheeses without introducing the first authentically French cheese I fell in love with. I was a language assistant abroad for a year in Northern France, and the other English teachers wanted to celebrate my birthday by sharing a truly French experience, which, of course, involved food.
A grill was plugged in while another teacher began unwrapping all of the accompaniments and setting them around the table. The next thing I knew, all of the windows were opened in the middle of March to allow the stench to waft away so we could eat without being overtaken by the smell. This cheese had some serious funk! Up until that point, I had avoided eating anything I could smell before I could see it, but something told me I wasn’t going to get out of this so easily.
Everyone took a seat and a fellow teacher added a slice of Raclette to the metal paddle in front of me, sliding it under the heating element. I watched as, within a few minutes, the cheese began to bubble.
Not wanting to disappoint my incredibly gracious party planners, I mirrored the others, slid the melty cheese off of my personal skillet and over the few potatoes that dotted my plate. Hesitating for a moment, with all eyes on me, I took a bite of the gooey, cheese-covered pomme de terre.
Raclette is a French-Swiss specialty which lends its name not only to the cheese, but also the dish itself. The cheese is melted, either by letting a half wheel of it sit under a special heater until it can be scraped off, or by adding individual slices to metal melting trays and placing them under a grill. Once soft and gooey, the bubbly liquid is drizzled on top of a plate of charcuterie and boiled potatoes.
Raclette is the absolute perfect cheese to introduce to your skeptical eater first. People love interactive dining experiences, and this allows them to feel like the chefs of their own meal. It’s a playful experience, permitting diners to fully immerse themselves in the act of making and assembling the dish. The smell is a bit strong, yes, but the taste is actually quite mild, which won me over all those years ago with my fellow teachers.
“Just melting the cheese will balance the flavors and pungency. It becomes sweet cream and has meaty, brothy flavors,” explains Anaïs Saint-Andre Loughran, owner of Chantal’s Cheese Shop, located in my hometown of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
This dish is usually eaten seasonally in France, enjoyed mostly in the winter months as a part of après-ski. If introducing this cheese while in France, however, you can find restaurants around the Alps that do serve it year round. You will also be able to find the cheese in most supermarkets, a lot of times already sliced, just begging to be melted and enjoyed, or stuffed into a baguette for a tasty addition to your sandwich.
2. Cantal
Known as one of the oldest cheeses in France, at least 2,000 years old, this cheese can be traced back to the Gaul period in France. It is also the cheese on our list that has the closest taste to cheddar, making its usages endless for the picky eaters used to the comforts of this American favorite.
Cantal jeune (young Cantal) will have a softer, more milky flavor, while Cantal entre-deux (“between the two,” as in between the young and old variety) will have more grassy and buttery notes. Cantal vieux (old Cantal) will be the sharpest and will taste more spicy and peppery than the other two varieties.
For people looking to incorporate French cheeses into culturally authentic dishes, Cantal cheese would be a perfect companion for French classics such as Tarte au Cantal aux tomates, which is a simple Cantal cheese and tomato tart that is colorful and reminiscent of an upscale pizza. Cantal would also be a wonderful addition to quiches, such as the classic quiche Lorraine, in place of the usual Gruyère. For a heavenly experience, try the Alpine favorite Aligot, a whipped potato and cheese dish that is similar in consistency to fondue.
If you want to introduce this foreign cheese by using identifiable dishes however, Cantal can take the place of cheddar in most recipes you would use it in. Consider putting Cantal on top of a smashed potato pizza, mixing into a broccoli soup, or using it in a grilled cheese or a dish of mac & cheese.
3. Comté
Known as the French version of Switzerland’s Gruyère cheese, Comté has an Appellation d’origine contrôlée (AOC) status, meaning that it can only be produced and processed in the Franche Comté region of France according to strict regulation. This area borders the grassy, rolling hills of Switzerland where the milk used to produce cheeses, such as the Gruyère mentioned above, comes from cows grazing at high altitudes. Comté comes in different varieties, the two most popular being Comté d’Été, or summer comté, and Comté d’Hiver, or winter comté, using the seasons as markers of the different colors of the cheeses and their distinct flavor profiles. It is said that the été variety has a lighter color due to the herbs, flowers, and grass the cows eat in the summer, while the winter comté is a bit darker due to the cows grazing on hay and other dried vegetation during the winter months.
I like this cheese because when I first tried comté été, it had the saltiness of a good parmesan, a cheese which is identifiable to most Americans. While the flavors of Comté are known to change depending on how long it is aged or which season the cows were milked in, it has a nutty, balanced taste with either variety.
Because it falls under the category of an Alpine cheese, or a cheese hailing from the Alps, I would lean into that and introduce Comté in an interactive and tasty fondue. As mentioned above, like Raclette, what little pungency the cheese has will only mellow out once melted, making it more mild and agreeable. Fondue creates an encapsulating and even whimsical experience for children and adults alike, all while allowing you to introduce Comté for the first time.
Although most notably used as a snacking cheese, cut up into cubes or slices and nibbled on, many cooks love using comté melted into a gooey gratin to heighten the flavor profile. For someone who isn’t the biggest fan of Brussels sprouts, try a Comté and Brussels sprout gratin. Baked with pancetta for an extra layer of smokey and salty flavors, this gratin is a game changer, and will have skeptics reconsidering their stance on both the cheese and the Brussels!
4. Mimolette
When I was a language assistant all the way back in 2013, the one thing I missed most while abroad was the incredibly familiar orange blocks of extra-sharp cheddar. With France being so close to England, I thought finding the cheese wouldn’t be so difficult, but after many unsuccessful trips to different grocery stores, I began asking my fellow colleagues if they could suggest a comparable substitute. Enter: Mimolette.
This cheese hails from Lille in the north of France, close to the border of Belgium, which played a major role in its creation.
During the Franco-Dutch war, imports from the Netherlands were barred from crossing the border into French territory. This left the French without their much-loved Edam cheese. As a result, France’s finance minister Jean-Baptiste Colbert enlisted French cheese makers to create a similar cheese. The result was Mimolette, which was distinguished from the light-colored Dutch Edam by coloring it a bright orange hue.
While the color is about all this cheese shares with cheddar, the young variety of Mimolette does have a similar taste to parmesan. A slightly older variety is closely described as sharing similar qualities with Gouda, which some compare to a provolone or Monterey Jack, again, both accessible cheeses found in many American delis and supermarkets. Looking for a light snack to curb your cheese cravings? Try these sage, thyme, and Mimolette cheese straws. They are crunchy, cheesy, and introduce Mimolette with other flavors that balance out the cheese’s sweet and almost nutty profile.
5. Brie
Brie is the perfect introduction to soft French cheeses, especially if it is a double or triple cream variety. I suggest starting off with a double, such as Fromager d’Affinois, or triple cream Brie, such as Brillat Savarin or Délice de Bourgogne, because those have more cream added to the cheese. This added cream elevates its butterfat content to anywhere from 65% to 75% (typical of a double cream) to 75% or higher (typical of a triple cream). It also gives the Brie a softer, more creamy, buttery flavor that is incredibly approachable to first time tasters.
One of the most asked questions when it comes to Brie is, can I eat the rind? And the answer is yes! The rind is absolutely safe to eat and it is expected that you do.
Brie is one of those cheeses where it can be paired seamlessly with savory or sweet dishes. Because of this, I would suggest mixing it up and introducing this cheese via a honey brûléed baked Brie appetizer. The crunchiness from the brûléed sugar top and the creamy and sweet base of the honeyed Brie makes the perfect accompaniment to crackers or hunks of warm, fresh baguette.
Or, for a sweetness overload that’s worthy of any Saturday brunch, add Brie and strawberry stuffed French toast with Nutella to the menu. Fussy eaters wouldn’t give two thoughts to the idea of cheese stuffed into their pain perdu with all of the other flavors and textures present in the dish.
One way to introduce this cheese in a savory context could be to wrap the wheel in different herbs like rosemary or thyme and bake it in the oven. It will come out partially melted and easily spreadable on crackers or pieces of baguette, making it an incredibly easy appetizer at your next party.
6. Ossau-Iraty
Heading down south to the Spanish border, our next cheese comes from the two towns of Ossau and Iraty on the outskirts of the Pyrenees mountains. It is thought that Ossau-Iraty cheese descends from the first cheese that was ever made, making its history just as epic as its taste. When it comes to the taste, flavors range from a slight briny olive flavor, to the toasted hint of hazelnuts with a touch of sweet, honeyed fig.
Many believe the cheese to be one of the most versatile on the list. It is a sheep’s milk cheese, with the more aged variety being a bit harder–perfect for grating into dishes, or just cutting up for a snack. When it comes to the younger, softer version, though, I would suggest using it to elevate already identifiable foods, such as by melting it over a burger, using it in a quesadilla, or even adding it to a melty, gooey plate of mac and cheese. It has a difference of enough taste that it will be noticeable, but mild enough that the cheese wouldn’t come off as overpowering.
7. Beaufort
Hailing from the Savoie region in France, Beaufort is a cow’s milk cheese linked to the Gruyère family of Alpine cheeses. Like most of our cheeses on this list coming from that region, melting Beaufort mellows its flavor, making it the most beautiful and velvety addition to fondue.
It’s known to have three varieties: Beaufort d’hiver (winter Beaufort), Beaufort d’été (summer Beaufort), and Beaufort d’Alpage (mountain pasture Beaufort). Each wheel of the latter is made from a single herd of Tartines or Tarentaise cows, who graze on wild grasses at high altitudes in the summer months. While the taste of each Beaufort is similar, the été variety is known to have notes of butter and caramel, with even a hint of floral flavors, while the winter variety is milder and fruitier. Beaufort d’Alpage is known to have a denser texture, with flavors varying from toasted cream and hazelnuts, to hay and cooked onions.
For our inexperienced eaters seeking out ways to dive into the cheese world, Beaufort is known to have a subtler taste than a traditional Swiss Gruyère, which makes this cheese an excellent choice when easing your way into traditional French cheeses.
I would suggest using this cheese as an introduction to the French café classic, the Croque Monsieur. This traditional ham and cheese sandwich is heightened with the addition of a layer of creamy bechamel sauce. Don’t be intimidated by the extra step of making this sauce, since a bechamel is just butter, flour, and milk combined with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. It is considered one of the “mother sauces” of the cooking world and is so versatile, you can use it to explore other French classics such as a traditional gratin or soufflé, which often call for this sauce.
It was French President Charles de Gaulle who was famously quoted as saying, “How can you govern a country which has 246 varieties of cheese?” And, while the number quoted above does sound staggering, the actual estimation, when including small artisanal producers, is that France has over 1,000 varieties of cheese. So it’s only natural when first starting out to feel a bit overwhelmed.
When beginning to explore the world of French cheeses, Anaïs suggests trying your local cheese shop before going directly to a supermarket. There you will find a professional cheesemonger who will be able to discuss your likes and dislikes, make suggestions, and even allow you to try the cheese before you buy it.
These cheesemongers can also help you discover cheeses from local artisan producers, instead of the mass produced varieties found at local grocery stores, which means you’re actively supporting small business and receiving a higher quality product.
Still having a hard time finding the perfect French cheese? Don’t stress!
“Our taste buds are our personal fingerprints,” Anaïs explains. “Cheese can change between the makers, the season, and even between batches. The cheese can be younger or older than you are used to, as the cheese is alive and well, and will be changing during its ripening (aging of the cheese).”
So, if you don’t love one type of French cheese, don’t write that particular kind off. Try a different producer or one that has been aged for a different length of time. Each will have subtle differences and will help you understand the elements that you like and dislike about the cheeses, narrowing in on your personal taste all while expanding your palate.
