Sigurdur Nordal - Short Answers

Are French cheeses good and why?

Posted on April 4th, 2008 by Sigurdur Nordal.
Categories: Uncategorized.

For centuries, the French have taken cheese-making seriously. Benedictine monasteries regarded cheese to be the ideal food and insisted on exact adherence to proper preparation procedures and hygiene regulations (“French monasteries”). But the real key to the quality of French cheese is the “Appellation d’Origine Controlee.” The history of this “controlled term of origin” goes back to the 15th century. Under the auspices of the AOC, cheese production is subject to strict guidelines that must be followed and supervised by a control commission. The production conditions influence the characteristics of a cheese dramatically. To ensure consistently high quality, the AOC-cheese is produced according to centuries-old methods. Only 40 of the over 500 French cheese varieties are allowed to label themselves with the AOC stamp of approval. All AOC-cheeses carry a seal on the rind, packaging or label, but true cheese connoisseurs can recognize them even without the seal.

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