Top 10 Best French Cheeses of All Time

The world-famous blue cheese from the natural caves of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon in Aveyron. Made exclusively from raw sheep milk (Lacaune breed) and aged in limestone caves where Penicillium roqueforti thrives. It earned France first-ever AOP designation in 1925, making it the original protected cheese.

The iconic soft-ripened cheese from Normandy, traditionally credited to Marie Harel around 1791. True Camembert de Normandie carries AOP status and must be made from raw cow milk in authorized Norman communes. Its bloomy white rind gives way to a rich, creamy interior with earthy mushroom notes.

Dubbed the King of Cheeses after being crowned at the 1814 Congress of Vienna, Brie de Meaux is a soft, surface-ripened cheese from the Ile-de-France region. It holds AOP status and is made from raw cow milk, developing a velvety white rind over 4 to 8 weeks of aging with buttery, straw-like flavors.

A beloved semi-soft washed-rind cheese from the Savoie Alps, holding AOP status since 1958. Its name derives from the French word reblocher (to milk again), referencing the medieval practice of secret second milkings. Reblochon is the essential ingredient in tartiflette, the iconic Savoyard potato gratin.

A pungent washed-rind cheese from Burgundy, famously described by Brillat-Savarin as the king of all cheeses. Its orange rind is repeatedly washed with Marc de Bourgogne brandy during aging, producing an intensely aromatic exterior that gives way to a spoonable, creamy center. Holds AOP status since 1991.

A semi-soft cheese from the Jura region, instantly recognizable by its distinctive horizontal line of vegetable ash running through the center. Originally, the ash separated morning and evening milk curds. Granted AOP status in 2000, Morbier offers a supple, elastic texture with mild, fruity flavors and an earthy finish.

A firm, uncooked pressed cheese from the Basque Country and Bearn regions, made exclusively from the milk of local Manech and Basco-Bearnaise sheep breeds. It holds AOP status and is aged for at least 80 days, developing a smooth, dense paste with sweet, nutty notes and hints of dried fruit and herbs.

A soft washed-rind cheese from Alsace in northeastern France, holding AOP status since 1969. Made from cow milk and aged in humid cellars, its rind is washed with brine to develop a characteristic strong aroma and orange-red color. Despite the powerful smell, the flavor is remarkably smooth and savory.

One of the oldest French cheeses, this semi-soft pressed cheese hails from the volcanic Auvergne region. Holding AOP status, it is made from raw cow milk and aged on rye straw beds for at least 28 days. The result is a supple paste with a gray-purple natural rind and flavors of mushroom, hazelnut, and fresh cream.

The world-famous blue cheese from the natural caves of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon in Aveyron. Made exclusively from raw sheep milk (Lacaune breed) and aged in limestone caves where Penicillium roqueforti thrives. It earned France first-ever AOP designation in 1925, making it the original protected cheese.

The iconic soft-ripened cheese from Normandy, traditionally credited to Marie Harel around 1791. True Camembert de Normandie carries AOP status and must be made from raw cow milk in authorized Norman communes. Its bloomy white rind gives way to a rich, creamy interior with earthy mushroom notes.

Dubbed the King of Cheeses after being crowned at the 1814 Congress of Vienna, Brie de Meaux is a soft, surface-ripened cheese from the Ile-de-France region. It holds AOP status and is made from raw cow milk, developing a velvety white rind over 4 to 8 weeks of aging with buttery, straw-like flavors.

A beloved semi-soft washed-rind cheese from the Savoie Alps, holding AOP status since 1958. Its name derives from the French word reblocher (to milk again), referencing the medieval practice of secret second milkings. Reblochon is the essential ingredient in tartiflette, the iconic Savoyard potato gratin.

A pungent washed-rind cheese from Burgundy, famously described by Brillat-Savarin as the king of all cheeses. Its orange rind is repeatedly washed with Marc de Bourgogne brandy during aging, producing an intensely aromatic exterior that gives way to a spoonable, creamy center. Holds AOP status since 1991.

A semi-soft cheese from the Jura region, instantly recognizable by its distinctive horizontal line of vegetable ash running through the center. Originally, the ash separated morning and evening milk curds. Granted AOP status in 2000, Morbier offers a supple, elastic texture with mild, fruity flavors and an earthy finish.

A firm, uncooked pressed cheese from the Basque Country and Bearn regions, made exclusively from the milk of local Manech and Basco-Bearnaise sheep breeds. It holds AOP status and is aged for at least 80 days, developing a smooth, dense paste with sweet, nutty notes and hints of dried fruit and herbs.

A soft washed-rind cheese from Alsace in northeastern France, holding AOP status since 1969. Made from cow milk and aged in humid cellars, its rind is washed with brine to develop a characteristic strong aroma and orange-red color. Despite the powerful smell, the flavor is remarkably smooth and savory.

One of the oldest French cheeses, this semi-soft pressed cheese hails from the volcanic Auvergne region. Holding AOP status, it is made from raw cow milk and aged on rye straw beds for at least 28 days. The result is a supple paste with a gray-purple natural rind and flavors of mushroom, hazelnut, and fresh cream.