The Culinary Heritage of France: How (and Why!) Cheeses from the Hexagon Conquered the World

Cheeses
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French has a rich culinary heritage in techniques and flavors, influencing many modern cuisines. It is considered one of the best, most respectable and most prestigious cuisines worldwide. French cuisine lays a strong foundation for presentation, formal techniques, simple flavors and fresh ingredients.

The Spread of French Cuisine

As the cooking culture shifted and transformed across the world, so did French culinary heritage. Cooking during the Middle Ages started to be recognized as a serious activity, especially in parts like France. A good example is the cheese-making process. Today, the allure of French cheeses extends far beyond the borders of France, captivating Newark to Paris and every corner of the globe. Although it was only until the 1600s when the first cookbooks were published, France was already shaping into today’s cuisine.

The Treasure of French Cheese

France is renowned for its great culinary heritage and rich cheese-making tradition worldwide. The country boosts a variety of cheeses which form an important part of its culture. French consume cheese almost every day as a healthy and nutritious food option, with lots of calcium. Cheese development in France goes by each state. Each region in France offers distinct cheeses with unique colors, tastes and textures. France has around 40 cheese types with AOP (Protected Designation or Origin).

The Journey from Pastures to Amazing Palates

French cheeses continue to amaze and captivate many people with a variety of textures and mouth-watering flavors. So, what makes these cheeses unique?

The Benefit of Terroir

French cheese takes advantage of terroir to come up with its distinctive flavors. This is a unique combination of geographic location, good climate, and rich soil. Because of this terroir, each piece has unique characteristics, giving each cheese a sense of belonging.

Innovative Cheese-Making Techniques

French tradition plays an important role when it comes to making incredible and original taste cheese. However, cheese-makers in France are taking matters into their own hands thanks to advanced technology. Some makers are pushing cheese-making boundaries by trying new textures and flavors while others try to cool things off by employing eco-friendly techniques like biodynamic farming.

High-Quality Ingredients

As great as the French cheese is, it relies on high-quality milk. Each source of milk, goat, sheep, or cow, offers a unique taste and a wide spectrum of flavors. Cheese-makers select the highest milk quality from the farmer, while the farmer ensures the animals are well-fed.

In a Nutshell

French culinary heritage goes beyond the croissants and baguettes. The unique French tradition of pastry magic, dairy techniques and fusion cuisine have left many craving more. The craftsmanship in cheese making and flavor blending has given birth to new and tasteful dishes worldwide.

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