Cheese has an important place in food traditions across the Francophone world, with different regions producing their own varieties and styles. The names may be unfamiliar, but you do not need to recognize every cheese to understand what you are looking at.
Vocabulary for the milk, flavor, and texture of a cheese can give you useful clues. You will encounter these words in supermarkets, markets, restaurants, and fromageries.
Basic cheese vocabulary
The general French word for cheese is le fromage. Un fromage can refer to a particular cheese or type of cheese:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| le fromage | cheese |
| un fromage | a cheese / type of cheese |
| un fromage frais | fresh cheese |
| la croûte | rind |
| une meule | wheel of cheese |
| une tranche | slice |
| un morceau | piece |
| un plateau de fromages | cheese board |
| une fromagerie | cheese shop |
Words such as une tranche and un morceau are useful when you want to talk about an amount or portion rather than a type of cheese.
Cow, goat, or sheep?
Cheeses are often described by the type of milk used to make them:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| le lait de vache | cow's milk |
| le lait de chèvre | goat's milk |
| le lait de brebis | sheep's milk |
| un fromage au lait de vache | cow's milk cheese |
| un fromage de chèvre | goat cheese |
| un fromage au lait de brebis | sheep's milk cheese |
Chèvre means "goat," but it is also commonly used for goat cheese. You will hear du chèvre as well as du fromage de chèvre.
The same word can appear in the name of a dish. Une salade au chèvre is a salad with goat cheese.
Some common cheeses from France
France produces a large variety of cheeses, many closely associated with a particular region. These are some names you may encounter on menus and at cheese counters:
| French | Description |
|---|---|
| le camembert | soft cow's milk cheese from Normandy with a white rind |
| le brie | soft cow's milk cheese with a white rind |
| le comté | firm cow's milk cheese from eastern France |
| le roquefort | blue sheep's milk cheese |
| le reblochon | soft cow's milk cheese from the Alps |
| le munster | soft cow's milk cheese from eastern France |
| le chèvre | general term commonly used for goat cheese |
Names such as camembert, comté, and roquefort usually appear without translation on a menu or at a cheese counter. Look at the description or ask about the cheese if the name does not tell you enough.
Valençay, for example, is a French goat cheese recognizable by its truncated pyramid shape and gray rind.
Describing cheese
You can use words for flavor and texture to describe what you like or understand a description:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| doux / douce | mild |
| fort / forte | strong |
| crémeux / crémeuse | creamy |
| frais / fraîche | fresh |
| ferme | firm |
| mou / molle | soft |
| sec / sèche | dry |
A fromage doux has a mild flavor, while a fromage fort has a stronger one. These words are also useful when you do not know the name of the cheese you want.
At a fromagerie
A fromagerie is a shop specializing in cheese. The person who sells cheese is un fromager or une fromagère. You may also buy cheese from a dedicated counter at a market or supermarket.
A few words can help you understand how the cheese is sold:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| une fromagerie | cheese shop |
| un fromager / une fromagère | cheesemonger |
| à la coupe | sold cut to order / from the counter |
| une tranche | slice |
| un morceau | piece |
| 100 grammes | 100 grams |
| 200 grammes | 200 grams |
À la coupe means that the cheese is cut from a larger piece or wheel rather than sold in a prepackaged portion.
At a cheese counter or fromagerie, do not touch cheeses that are displayed unwrapped. Ask the person serving you instead. If a piece is already wrapped and displayed for customers to take, you can pick it up yourself.
Buying cheese
You can ask for a particular cheese, give an amount, or describe the kind of cheese you would like:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Je voudrais 200 grammes de comté, s'il vous plaît. | I'd like 200 grams of Comté, please. |
| Je voudrais un morceau de brie. | I'd like a piece of Brie. |
| Vous en voulez combien ? | How much would you like? |
| Environ 150 grammes. | About 150 grams. |
| Je peux goûter ? | Can I taste it? |
| Vous avez quelque chose de plus doux ? | Do you have something milder? |
| Vous avez quelque chose de plus fort ? | Do you have something stronger? |
Je voudrais... gives you a polite way to ask for what you want.
If you do not know the name of a cheese, describe what you are looking for instead. Quelque chose de doux, quelque chose de crémeux, or un fromage de chèvre gives the person serving you enough information to make a suggestion.
Cheese at the table
Cheese can appear in different forms on a menu or at the table. Recognizing these expressions can help you understand what you are being served:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| un plateau de fromages | cheese board |
| une assiette de fromages | cheese plate |
| du fromage râpé | grated cheese |
| du fromage fondu | melted cheese |
| une tranche de fromage | slice of cheese |
You may also see fromage as a course on a restaurant menu. A set menu may offer fromage ou dessert, giving you a choice between cheese and dessert.
From learning to practice
At a market, cheese counter, or fromagerie, an unfamiliar cheese does not have to stay unfamiliar. Look for words that tell you about the milk, flavor, or texture, then use what you know to ask for what you want. You can give an amount, describe what you like, or simply ask Je peux goûter ? and discover something new.