Fromage Faux Pas

Hand lettering of the most common "French cheese rules" printed on plates, by Priscille Schmitt. www.priscilleschmitt.com

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Rule 12/12

Finally the golden rule: Never cut the tip — or the "Nose" — off of the Brie. Instead maintain de wedge from the tip to the rind. Why? Because everybody wants a piece of the creamy flavorful center of the Brie. By the way, did you know that the Brie was originally known as the "Queen of Cheeses"?

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Rule 11/12

Let your cheese come to room temperature to fully enjoy its flavor and texture. That means, take it out of the fridge at least one hour before serving.

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Rule 10/12

You can eat the rind of nearly every cheese, especially soft-ripened like Camembert. However hard cheese rind can be too strong or too hard. But in anycase if you don’t eat the rind you should cut it off on your own plate, never leave it on the cheese board.

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Rule 9/12

Metal board can look more elegant, but note that it’s a no go with cheese. It dulls the taste!

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Rule 8/12

Keep your crackers or toasts for breakfast and get a fresh Baguette or French sourdough to serve with your cheese board instead.

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Rule 7/12

For instance a nice board can have a Comté (hard cheese), a Brie de Meaux (soft cow milk cheese) and a Crottin de Chavignol (goat cheese). Or less common: a Bleu d’Auvergne, an Ossau-Iraty and a Neufchâtel...

Did you know that it exists more than 1000 type of cheese in France?

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Rule 6/12

Cut your Camembert into pie-shaped slices. Like a pizza! 🍕 The texture and flavor are different in the center and at the edges. This way, everyone has a bit of everything.

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Rule 5/12

You don’t spread the cheese, you delicately put your small piece of cheese on your bread and eat it. This is NO butter!

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Rule 4/12 Yes there is an order to eat your cheese. For instance, if you start with a Roquefort, you won’t appreciate the taste of a Cottage cheese. So make sure you start with fresh, curds and whey cheeses or hard young cheeses and finish with mature soft, smear-ripened or blue cheeses.

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Rule 3/12

For obvious smelly reasons, never ever touch the cheese with your hands. Use your knife to cut a small amount and put it on your bite-sized piece of bread (Ref rule Nr. 2).

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Rule 2/12

The idea is to eat you cheese in small pieces and appreciate it. We are not making a sandwich, right?

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Rule 1/12

Cheese is a course which comes after the main. It’s not supposed to feed you, it’s served for its taste. So make sure you keep a little space for the dessert. But... if you love it so bad, a fat cheese board and a bottle of Bordeaux can make your meal ;)