Our 3rd Cle France Cheese course, burp!

Our third instalment in this series on French cheese will introduce you to two varieties you may have heard of but never tried. Go back in time on the blog pages and check out the first and second instalments if you’re just joining us.

Image by Sonja Pieper on Flickr

Tomme :

A round, firm cheese, Tomme is made from skim milk and therefore has a lower fat content than other cheeses like Camembert or Brie, mainly from Normandy. The rind is une couleur grise (a gray color). Du lait de vache ou de brebis (cow’s or ewe’s milk) is needed to produce Tomme but there have been instances of goat’s milk producing a delicious Tomme in the Basque country, a region in the western Pyrénées, une chaîne montagneuse qui sépare la France de l’Espagne (a chain of mountains separating France from Spain).

Unlike some cheeses, Tomme is not produced solely in one region. There exist a variety of Tommes, each with their own flavour and method of production. The most famous Tomme comes from the Savoie region in the Alps and is aptly named Tomme de Savoie.  There is Tomme de Lozère, Tomme Corse, Tomme de Belloc and many more.

Tomme is a rather versatile cheese that can be paired with either red or white wines. It can also be eaten alongside fruit or charcuterie (jambon, saucisses, pâté, etc—ham, sausages, pâté, etc.).

Munster :

Munster originated in the Vosges, a mountainous region in the northeastern part of France near Germany. It was created by des moines Bénédictins (Benedictine monks) in the 12th century as a way to supplement their diet since they were not allowed to eat de la viande (meat). It has remained a specialty of the Vosges since then and has become one of the more popular French cheeses around the world. However, Munster is not to be confused with the American cheese Muenster, so if you are looking to try authentic French Munster, make sure you pay attention to the spelling on the label.

Munster is made from unpasteurised cow’s milk and must be turned and hand-washed every two days to give the cheese its characteristic strong flavour. The rind has a light orange colour and remains moist because of the frequent washing. If you’ve never tried Munster, you might think something is wrong with le fromage mouillé que vous venez d’acheter (the wet cheese you just purchased), but this is normal.

In the Alsace Lorraine region, Munster is typically eaten avec des pommes de terre et des onions (with potatoes and onions) in traditional German fashion. Because of its Franco-German heritage, a hearty German beer or a French wine from Alsace such as Gewürztraminer provide a wonderful pairing when savouring a good Munster.

Blog submitted by: Alex at The French Property Network - Cle France.

More musing on the delights of French cheese!

Last week we learned about two of the most famous French cheeses: Camembert and Roquefort. Today, we will look at two more cheeses that have earned a following by cheese connoisseurs à travers le monde (around the world).

Image by Jennifer on Flickr

Brie :

Brie is perhaps le fromage Français le plus connu (the most well known French cheese) in the United States. Along with Camembert, Brie can be purchased in most supermarchés (supermarkets) around the country. Many people may confuse Brie with Camembert because it looks similar. However, both cheeses have distinct flavours that set them apart.

Like Roquefort, Brie has been around for centuries and even gained the approval of le Roi Charlemagne (King Charlemagne) in the late 8th century.  And it was one of Louis XVI’s favourite cheeses, lending credence to its royal title “Le Roi des Fromages” (The King of Cheeses), a moniker later earned during un concours (a contest) put on by Charles Maurice de Talleyrand, le Premier Ministre de France au début du 19ème siècle (France’s Prime Minister at the beginning of the 19th century).

The most famous Brie comes from the town of Meaux in the Seine-et-Marne region near Paris. Like Camembert, Brie has a kind of yellowish colour, is very creamy and should be consumed with bread. It works wonderfully as a dessert cheese accompanied by fruit and paired with Champagne.

Chèvre :

Chèvre is another popular and widely consumed cheese. The word chèvre means goat in French and, as you might have already guessed, this cheese is made entirely of lait de chèvre (goat’s milk). Surprisingly the Pays de la Loire and Normandy as well as the more obvious Limousin are good regions for cheese is made entirely of lait de chèvre.

Goat cheese is characterised by its stark white appearance that turns jaune (yellow) as it ages. If you wait too long, it begins to take on a flavour similar to savon (soap) along with une odeur puante (a smelly odour) that can be rather unpleasant. Chèvre is an acquired taste and it can be a little fort (strong) when you first try it, but give it a little time and you’ll begin to appreciate its more pungent flavour and aroma.

Unlike Brie, Camembert or even Roquefort, Chèvre comes in different formes (shapes) that you might not expect. Pyramids, cylinders and little even little cubes will make you double-check the label to make sure you’re buying chèvre. Chèvre is one of the few cheeses equally at home on your salad, your pizza or in your omelette. Un verre de vin rouge ou blanc avec un morceau de pain et un peu de Chèvre, et peut-etre quelques olives (a glass of red or white wine with a piece of bread and a little Chèvre, and maybe a few olives) makes for an excellent little repas (meal).

Blog submitted by: Alex at The French Property Network - Cle France.

Today Cle France are thinking about French Cheese!

Is there anything more stereotypically French than le fromage (cheese)? Maybe a beret, maybe a baguette, but cheese definitely ranks near the top. There are literally hundreds of different variétés de fromage (varieties of cheese) and it would take many years to really get to know them all and to be able to discern the subtle differences between them. Let’s enjoy une dégustation virtuelle (a virtual tasting) and explore two of the more popular cheeses that have become world famous.

From Normandy to Nice and from Mayenne to Marseilles you cannot escape from the vast array of cheese on offer, so just enjoy!

Image by Gunnar Magnusson on Flickr

Camembert :

Perhaps the most famous of French cheeses, Camembert is named after the village of Camembert in Normandy, France. Made with du lait de vache (cow’s milk), it was introduced to le palais Français (the French palate) in the late 18th century. Mme Marie Harel is famous for creating the cheese and it gained further renown when Napoleon became one its most ardent admirers (and consumers).

Camembert is très crémeux (very creamy) and meant to be consumed at room temperature. It contains 45% matière grasse (fat) and so is to be eaten in small quantities and always with du pain (bread). Pairing Camembert with du vin rouge (red wine) and des noix et des fruits (nuts and fruit) will only serve to enhance its flavour, and thus your enjoyment.

Roquefort :

The origins of Roquefort are not clear but it definitely dates back plusieurs siècles (several centuries) and was supposedly one of the favourite cheeses of le Roi Charlemagne (King Charlemagne) in the late 8th century.

Roquefort is made of lait de brebis (ewe’s milk) and is characterised by une couleur blue (a blue colour) that comes from a mold called Penicillium roqueforti. Ne vous inquiétez pas (Do not worry)! The mould is perfectly safe to eat and gives Roquefort son gout unique (its unique flavour). The fat content of this cheese is 52%, so again, proceed with caution. Roquefort is best served with des noix et des figues (nuts and figs) along with a glass of fortified wine such as Port or with a good Muscat.

Blog submitted by: Alex at The French Property Network - Cle France.

If you really want to learn French, you need to know a few French expressions...

Si tu veux vraiment apprendre le Français, il faut connaître quelques expressions Françaises!

Fewer things are more revealing of a person’s familiarity with a language than utilising expressions to convey an idea. Unlike expletives, which many people use to add emphasis to a statement, a thoughtfully used expression is la meilleure façon (the best way) to convey your understanding of French that might surprise, and even impress, the unassuming listener.

Here are few more tournures de phrases (turns of phrase) worth adding to your repertoire. For previous posts on French expressions, see part 1, part 2 and part 3 by scrolling back in the blog pages.

NOTE: Phrase in parentheses is the literal translation, or as close to it as possible.

Peigner la giraffe (Painting the giraffe) – Not doing anything useful.

Battre la semelle (Beating the sole) – Walking and waiting.

Filer à l’anglaise (Getting away at the english) – Leaving without saying goodbye or without telling anyone.

L’habit ne fait pas le moine (The garment does not make the monk) – Appearances can be deceiving.

Faire un four (Doing an oven) – Being a failure at something.

Rouler quelqu’un dans la farine (Rolling someone in flour) – Lying to someone.

Avoir le cœur sur la main (Having the heart on the hand) – Being generous.

Tirer sur l’ambulance (Pulling on the ambulance) – Burdening someone who is already going through a difficult situation.

Couper les ponts (Cutting the bridges) – Severing relationships (similar to the expression “Burning one’s bridges”).

Salut vieille branche! (Hey old branch!) – You can use this expression with someone you’ve known a long time.

Tête de nœud (Head of knots) – Dummy/fool.

Tenir les murs (Holding the walls) – Not doing anything.

Au doigt mouillé (At the wet finger) – Imprecisely or only approximately.

Sur le fil du rasoir (On the string of the razor) – In a dangerous or unstable situation (similar to the English expression “On the razor’s edge”).

La tentation de Venise (The temptation of Venice) – Tempted to devote your time to something else, to change vocations.

Faire flanelle (Doing flannel) – Not purchasing or consuming anything.

Le diable est dans les détails (The devil is in the details) – Remembering that details are important and not to disregard them (this expression is found in the English language and is very common).

Couper la poire en deux (Cutting the pear in two) – Splitting something equally or compromising.

La loi de la jungle (The law of the jungle) – The law of the strongest.

Rester sur l’estomac (Staying on the stomach) – Referring to something that is difficult to digest.

Blog submitted by: David at The French Property Network - Cle France.

This blog was originally posted on The French Language Blog pages.

If you really want to learn French, you need to know a few French expressions...

Si tu veux vraiment apprendre le Français, il faut connaître quelques expressions Françaises!

You aren’t going to find these in formal language books but equipping yourself with some of these idioms, colloquialisms and tournures de phrases (turns of phrase) will endear you to the French even if your accent betrays you.

Let’s discover some more French expressions, some of which may be completely foreign to you.

*Phrase in parentheses (brackets) is the literal translation, or as close to it as possible.*

1. Il fait un temps de chien! (It a dog time!) – It’s very bad weather!

2. Coincer le bulle (Trapping the bubble) – Not doing anything, relaxing.

3. Par monts et par vaux (By mountains and valleys) – On the move.

4. Avoir les dents longues (Having long teeth) – Being very ambitious.

5. Casser sa pipe (Breaking one’s pipe) – Dying.

6. Tuer la poule aux œufs d’or (Killing the chicken with the golden eggs) – To trade long term benefits  for immediate profits.

7. Avoir le nez creux (Having a hollow nose) – Having good intuition.

8. Être un as (Being an ace) – Being the best at something.

9. Boire du petit lait (Drinking little milk) – To feel satisfied upon receiving compliments.

10. Pot aux roses (Pot of roses) – A secret or a mystery.

11. À tombeau ouvert (At open tomb) – Going way too fast.

12. Mettre le feu aux poudres (Putting the fire to the powder) – Stirring up trouble or aggravating a situation.

13. S’ennuyer comme un rat mort (Bored like a dead rat) – Being very bored.

14. Clouer le bec (Nailing the beak) – Silencing someone.

15. Garder son sang-froid (Keeping one’s blood cold) – Remaining calm or maintaining self-control.

16. Avoir bon dos (Having good back) – Being easy to blame.

17. Le roi n’est pas son cousin (The king is not his/her cousin) – He/She is happier than a king.

18. Sucrer les fraises (Sweetening the strawberries ) – To have shaky hands (referring to the action of sprinkling sugar on strawberries).

19. Il n’y a pas un chat (There isn’t a cat) – The place is empty or there’s no one here.

20. Donner carte blanche (Giving the white card) – Giving someone authority to do anything..

Blog submitted by: David at The French Property Network - Cle France.

This blog was originally posted on The French Language Blog pages.