when do you serve the cheese course in france

Traditionally during a French dinner, cheese is served after the main course and before the dessert. You may notice that restaurants will often offer on the menu a plate of cheese in or just before the dessert section. At dinner parties, a plate may be passed with three or many more cheeses after the plates from main course are cleared.

Full Answer

What is the correct order to eat cheese in France?

Basically, the “correct” order to eat cheese in France is from the most mild (light flavored) to the most strong (stinkiest). So you’ll usually start with the cheese that is very light colored and has little smell such as a comté or a goat cheese, and then work your way up to the blue cheese.

Where do you serve cheese in a French dinner?

Traditionally during a French dinner, cheese is served after the main course and before the dessert. You may notice that restaurants will often offer on the menu a plate of cheese in or just before the dessert section.

What is the best way to serve the cheese course?

The cheese course is not served at the beginning of the meal, it should be served after the entree and before dessert. If inclined, serve the cheese course with a strong, sweet port wine. Just a few sips per person will be perfect!

Should we have a cheese course before a meal?

And while, as a nation we are young and free, I can't come at the new custom of a cheese course before a meal. Cheese is very rich and high in calories and can ruin the appetite. A good appetite makes food taste better, hence more enjoyment of a meal.

Is the cheese course served before or after dessert?

Cheese is always served before dessert and its place in a French meal evolved since the Middle Ages – from an unofficial meal-ender to a savory treat in between the main course and dessert. You can follow the appetizer-main course-cheese-dessert order, unless you're serving a buffet.

When should a cheese board be served?

Since most French cheeses are quite rich, eating them before a meal could spoil your appetite. Instead, the cheese course is served after dinner and can aid in digestion. If you want to stick to the French method of serving cheese, it should be offered after the main course but before dessert.

Do French eat cheese before or after dessert?

The right time to have cheese is right before the dessert The French don't like ending a meal with cheese, so they always follow it with dessert, which could even be just grapes.

Why do the French serve cheese after dinner?

An apéro is a casual social gathering where drinks and snacks are served. Cheese is eaten in moderation in France. It's quality as opposed to quantity. Eating a little high quality cheese after your main meal will allow you to feel more satisfied, resulting in eating less cheese.

How do you serve cheese after dinner?

The cheese is usually served at the dinner table with some good bread, and if no dessert is planned after the cheese course, ripe or dried fruits, nuts, or other accompaniments might be offered with the cheese. Sometimes cheese is served as a partner to a leafy salad.

What do you serve after a cheese board?

Cheese Board Pairing IdeasAssorted Crackers: There are lots of good options out there! ... Bagels: This would be a fun option for a breakfast or bunch board.Baguette: Throw some sliced baguettes (toasted, of course) on any platter!Breadsticks: There are cracker-like breadsticks, as well as a bread based breadstick.More items...•

Do the French eat cheese after dinner?

In France, the traditional time to eat cheese during a meal is after the main dish and before dessert. Yes, it gets it's own course, though you can eat it in lieu of dessert also if you wish. French people don't eat cheese at every meal– it's more common during dinner and weekend lunches.

What do the French eat after main course?

Salad may be served after the main course as a palate cleanser. In the eastern regions of France, sauerkraut may be served as a side dish during the third course of dinner. There are more than 400 types of cheese in France, so it should not come as a surprise that cheese, in itself, can be a course in a French dinner.

What knife do you use to cut a wedge of cheese?

For wedges of cheese, cut diagonally across the bottom, this is to ensure the last person will not be left with just the rind. Soft cheeses are cut with a butter knife or if they are very runny, can be served with a spoon. Hard cheeses are cut with a paring or slicing knife.

How many different cheeses are there in France?

Over 400 different kinds of cheeses are made in France and cheese is a very important part of French culture. Traditionally during a French dinner, cheese is served after the main course and before the dessert.

Can you eat cheese with paper on the rind?

If the rind seems complicated to remove, particularly in runny cheeses, then eat it. With harder cheeses, particularly one’s with paper on the rind, use your knife to remove it. Everything between, it’s really up to your individual taste.

Can you eat cheese on bread?

How to eat. You can spread the cheese on bread with your knife or in the case of hard cheeses, eat it with a fork and knife. It’s perfectly acceptable to ask for more bread. All cheese rinds are edible, but they usually have the strongest flavor.

Is warm brie served with drinks?

Cheese is not served with drinks before the meal, as is common in Anglophone countries. Warm Brie has started to appear as an appetizer on bistro menus in Paris, but this is a recent import and not how Brie is traditionally served.

What is French cheese etiquette?

French cheese etiquette involves correct times, orders and methods that as an American I never had to learn to operate in society. But cheese manners matter here, so if you’re planning a trip or a move it’s good to learn the basics. Before meeting my husband I didn’t really like cheese, which is basically grounds to get me kicked out of France.

What is the best cheese to eat in France?

Basically, the “correct” order to eat cheese in France is from the most mild (light flavored) to the most strong (stinkiest). So you’ll usually start with the cheese that is very light colored and has little smell such as a comté or a goat cheese, and then work your way up to the blue cheese. Blue cheese is always last.

What is an apéro in French?

An apéro (from the word apéritif) is a French social gathering where drinks and snacks are served that doesn’t exactly translate in Anglo-Saxon culture.

Why is cheese cut differently?

The reason each shape is cut differently is because often the center of the cheese is considered the best part, and therefore it would be rude to cut in a way where you took more than your fair share of the center. Also it helps the cheese maintain its shape the best way possible. A few more cheese cutting tips:

What cheeses have rinds?

Goat cheese: eat the rind. Blue cheese: eat the rind. If the cheese has a wrinkly, brain-like textured rind: eat it. If the cheese has a spices, herbs or other flavoring on the outside: eat it. If the rind is very moldy, especially thick, crusty, or is grey or dark colored: use your discretion.

How to cut cheese?

A few more cheese cutting tips: 1 Don’t try to cut tiny little slivers. It never really works and ruins the shape. A better strategy is to cut a bigger piece and then cut that in half and share with your neighbor or leave for the next person. 2 I try not to be the first person to cut into a cheese. It is much easier to follow a lead than to start off a cheese. 3 You shouldn’t waste a lot of cheese, so try not to take a lot more than you think you can eat. No problem with going back for seconds.

Where is the correct place to put bread in France?

And one last, very French tip: Do not put your bread on the plate with your cheese. In France, bread’s correct spot is directly on the table next to your plate. This rule applies to eating in a home or at a restaurant.

How long should cheese be out of the fridge?

French etiquette states that the cheese should be taken out of the fridge 1 hour before serving. This seems too long to me, especially in summer when Parisian apartments don’t have air conditioning.

Does cheese have a strong smell?

Some cheeses give off a stronger scent than others. If you must comment on the smell quotient of a particular cheese, it is more polite to call the cheese “strong” that go “eww, that stinks!”

Can you use multiple cheese knives on a cheese plate?

The knife issue is a tricky one in terms of cheese etiquette. Sometimes the cheese plate will come out with multiple cheese knives, in which case each knife should remain with the first cheese it was used to cut (i.e. it is not your new personal knife).

What is the main dish of French cuisine?

A standard French meal will consist of a first course appetizer, like a green bean salad, followed by the main dish of meat and carbs, such as impeccably roasted chicken and mashed potatoes, then a green salad, and then possibly fruit and cheese — if you still have room. Sliced baguette accompanies all courses.

What fruits compliment cheese?

fruit – select fruits that are easy to eat and serve and that compliment cheese well, such as apples, strawberries, or grapes. Clementines are a nice addition as they are so easy to peel. What’s your favorite fruit and cheese combination?

What did the French schoolboys teach me?

They taught me not to cut the nose off the white mould cheeses, not to smear the cheese as if it were butter, to cut the comte parallel to the rind, and to start with the mildest soft cheeses and finish with the strongest.

Does cheese ruin appetite?

Cheese is very rich and high in calories and can ruin the appetite. A good appetite makes food taste better, hence more enjoyment of a meal. The Vanilla planifolia orchid isn't the only plant to produce vanillin aromas. Photo: Supplied.

Where does vanillin come from?

I have tasted it in some of master smoker Tom Cooper's smoked salmon. In wine, vanillin comes from the oak barrels, new oak giving up more of the aroma than old oak.

How to enjoy cheese in France?

The correct way to enjoy your cheese in France is to gently place a small piece of cheese on a bite-sized morsel of the bread and then put it nicely into your mouth.

What shape of cheese should I use for a comte?

There is a specific rule for each shape, and it is all about manners and geometry. Here’s a summary of the rules for each shape: Round cheeses (e.g., Comte) – cut in thin triangular sections that resemble cake slices (should be around the thickness of a pencil) Log-shaped goat cheese – cut in parallel slices.

How to stop yourself from commenting on cheese?

So, hold your nose or stop breathing – do whatever it takes to stop yourself from commenting on the (unpleasant) smell of a French cheese, because the locals will take it to their heart. If you have to say something, you can say that the cheese is “fort,” which means strong in French. 6. Let the cheese breathe.

What wine pairs well with cheese?

While there are various factors considered before selecting the wine to pair with a specific cheese, the French typically prefer red wine. Otherwise, they tend to pair a wine that originates from the same region as the cheese.

Why don't French people like cheese?

The French don’t like serving cheese with crackers because they believe that they diminish the fantastic taste of their cheeses. Therefore, cheese is served with bread, although it doesn’t necessarily have to be a baguette.

When is the right time to have cheese?

The right time to have cheese is right before the dessert. The French don’t like ending a meal with cheese, so they always follow it with dessert, which could even be just grapes. 3. Cheese and crackers don’t go together.

Which cheeses are cut diagonally?

Pyramid-shaped cheeses – cut into one slice, then halve it. Wedge-shaped cheeses (e.g., Brie, Roquefort) – cut along the side of the wedge diagonally, being careful not to cut off “the nose” (the tip of the cheese that is nearest to the center) because it holds the most flavor.