I’ve been very lucky to get to spend a lot of time in France.
Recently, I was reminiscing about my time in France when I came across a photo that made me pause. Not only did I look great in that yellow dress, but I was also eating a French cheese course for the first time.
I had eaten French cheese before that moment, of course. After all, I had already spent weeks in France by the time that photo was taken, three summers in a row! My mom and I spent three summers together, following the Tour de France from stage to stage. But we rarely ate in fancy restaurants and our French was minimal. We had never ordered a meal that included a cheese course until it was on the menu at the one fancy hotel we were staying at during the entire trip. (Le Beau Rivage in Condrieu, if you’re traveling there soon!)
The cheese course was served after the main course, as is traditional in French dining. It was definitely not a charcuterie board, which is a whole different thing than a cheese course. It was made up of 3 cheeses, and I wish I could tell you what they were.
What I can tell you is that they were delicious.
These three cheeses didn’t need anything else added to them to make them complete. There was no need for crackers or bread or jam. Each one had its own unique flavor and texture. One had a stronger aroma than the others, but none of them were overpowering.
I was hooked! The cheese course became my favorite thing.
I wouldn’t return to France for a decade after that trip, but when I did, I ate all the French cheese I could find. Whether it was a cheese course in another fancy restaurant, a rustic homemade cheese during a visit to a local farm, or any other cheese I could get, I was going to take every chance I was offered.
During the pandemic, my mom and I ordered a French cheese subscription box from Fromages.com and began to learn more about French cheeses, how they are made, where they are produced, and the unique attributes of each one. Let me repeat: a French cheese subscription box!
It was during the year of the cheese subscription that I started learning about charcuterie: how to pair cheeses together on a board, how to make them beautiful, how to pick the right wines to go with the right cheeses.
My love of cheese and charcuterie goes beyond what’s available in France, but it will always be something I can trace back to my experiences in France.
These are some of my favorite French cheese moments, whether in France or on the patio with a shipment direct from Tours, France.
Taking my love of French cheese and charcuterie to the next level
In the years since discovering the joy of a French cheese course, I have grown in my appreciation of domestic and global cheeses.
From those first delightful bites in a fancy hotel in Condrieu to the cheese subscription boxes, followed by years of making charcuterie for friends and family, my appreciation for the nuanced flavors and artisanal traditions of good cheese has only grown. This love has inspired me to share my knowledge with others through charcuterie workshops, where I can teach participants about selecting complementary cheese and meat pairings, proper cheese service, and the stories behind the cheeses.
I teach charcuterie workshops in Central Indiana and beyond.
My upcoming “Charcuterie in the Woods” event is a chance for participants to have their own “first French cheese course” moment. We’ll be tasting cheese and wine on a lovely fall evening, then building gorgeous boards to share with one another.
If you can’t make it to this event in October, or if you want to schedule your own private cheese and charcuterie workshop, please reach out to me and we’ll get something on the calendar!
Charcuterie with Liz 