From the Louvre to Musée d’Orsay – tourists in Paris are spoilt for choice when it comes to magnificent museums to visit. But this new addition might just brie our new favourite.
That’s right: the city’s first ever cheese museum is set to open its doors very soon, offering visitors a chance to learn about the history of French cheese and its agricultural landscape.
But it isn’t just about the theory; the the aptly named Musée du Fromage, which is opening on Friday, June 14, is also offering cheesemaking demos, workshops and opportunities to taste the finished products.
So if you’re a fan of camembert, roquefort, comté or gruyere, this will be a grate experience and a gouda day out (sorry).
The idea came from cheesemaker Pierre Brisson, who moved to the City of Light 15 years ago.
And the museum’s founder couldn’t be more excited about the opening. ‘I realised that lots of things were already organised in Paris to promote wine,’ he told Euronews. ‘Wine culture is developed in France. Cheese is also a big thing, but there were no places where people could learn more deeply about the processes of making cheese.’
The goal of the museum is not just to spread the word about French cheese, Pierre also wants to celebrate the traditional process of making the dairy snack, a skill that is said to have declined rapidly as young people take on city jobs instead of agriculture.
But Pierre said he believes this could change because of the cost of living crisis and the distaste younger generations have for the traditional 9-to-5.
‘It’s time to come back to a more tough life. But… it could be a very happy life,’ he said. ‘A good cheesemaker earns well in life.’
The brand-new museum is located on 39 rue Saint-Louis en l’Île, 75004 Paris, within the city’s fourth arrondissement and is close to the Sully-Morland Métro station.
Entry for adults costs €20, and €10 for teens aged 15 and over and those who are 14 and under can get in for free.
Food and beverage expert at Mouse & Grape, Jessica Summer, explains France’s obsession with cheese to Metro.co.uk. ‘Is there anything more quintessentially French than enjoying cheese with wine and a fresh, crunchy baguette? Cheese making in France is an ancient tradition, deeply embedded in the country’s culture and history,’ she shares.
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‘Its origins can be traced back several thousand years, with monks in mediaeval monasteries often credited with refining many classic recipes like Munster and Epoisses.’
She adds: ‘France’s diverse climates and fertile landscapes, from the Savoie Alps to the Loire Valley, have created ideal conditions for dairy farming, giving rise to hundreds of artisanal cheeses.
‘The French government’s PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) accreditation ensures that cheeses are produced in specific regions using traditional methods, preserving their heritage and authenticity.’
Jessica adores classic soft cheeses like brie de meaux and camembert, but choosing a top five would be virtually impossible. She also loves ‘Alpine styles like comté and beaufort, Loire goat cheeses, pungent washed rind cheeses, creamy blues like fourme d’Ambert and bleu D’Auvergne and delicate hard ewe’s milk cheeses like Napoléon are also among my favourites.’
So there you have it. The Louvre might have the Mona Lisa, but it doesn’t have a good, pongy wedge of cheese now, does it?
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via The Novum Times
The Novum Times 