Camembert, Comté, Roquefort, Sainte-Maure, Munster…
France is home to more than a thousand different cheeses. So how can you make sense of them all?
Is there a simple method for learning how to recognize them?
The good news is that you don’t need to memorize hundreds of names.
During an Androuet cheese tasting workshop, you’ll first learn how to identify the major cheese families. Once you understand these essential categories, it becomes much easier to recognize the characteristics of each individual cheese.
Since 1909, Androuet’s Master Cheesemongers have used this approach to share their passion and make the world of cheese accessible to everyone.
Two cheeses can taste completely different while still belonging to the same family.
Conversely, cheeses produced in distant regions may share a similar texture or cheesemaking method.
Classifying cheese into families helps you understand:
This is one of the first essential principles taught during our workshops.
“Once you understand the cheese families, you stop simply memorizing names. You begin to understand the logic behind each cheese.”
— Nicolas, Androuet Master Cheesemonger
This is often the most familiar cheese family.
It includes celebrated cheeses such as:
Their distinctive white rind develops through the growth of beneficial molds during the aging process.
During the workshop, you’ll learn how to recognize:
These cheeses are recognizable by their orange or reddish rinds, which are regularly washed during aging.
This family includes:
Their aromas can sometimes appear intimidating.
Yet participants are often surprised to discover that their flavor is far more subtle than their aroma suggests.
“The aroma may suggest an extremely powerful cheese, but the palate often reveals much greater finesse.”
— Claire, Androuet Master Cheesemonger
This family includes some of the world’s finest long-aged cheeses.
You may discover:
As they mature, these cheeses can develop notes of butter, dried fruit, hazelnut, caramel, and roasted flavors.
During the workshop, you’ll learn why an 18-month Comté offers a completely different tasting experience from a 30-month Comté.
This diverse family includes many cheeses closely associated with their regional terroir.
Examples include:
You’ll discover how their textures evolve during aging and why these cheeses often reveal their finest character when tasted at exactly the right stage of maturity.
Contrary to popular belief, goat’s cheeses don’t all taste the same.
During a workshop, you may compare:
You’ll understand how affinage—the art of cheese aging—can dramatically transform both their texture and aroma.
Sheep’s milk cheeses have a character all their own.
Because sheep’s milk is naturally rich, it often creates smooth, generous textures and flavors that can range from delicate to deeply expressive, depending on the aging process.
Our workshops provide an opportunity to discover this fascinating family, which remains less familiar to many consumers.
Roquefort, Bleu d’Auvergne, Fourme d’Ambert…
Blue cheeses are as intriguing as they can be intimidating.
Our Master Cheesemongers explain:
Very often, participants who believed they disliked blue cheese completely change their minds.
At Androuet, we believe people remember much more when they can taste what they are learning.
During the workshop, each cheese family is explored through:
This sensory approach makes it much easier to remember the differences between the major cheese families.
During one workshop, a participant stated with complete confidence:
“I don’t like washed-rind cheeses.”
A few minutes later, after tasting a perfectly matured Munster, he asked where he could buy one.
Our Master Cheesemongers often smile at reactions like this.
They know that the reputation of a cheese can be very different from the experience of tasting it at exactly the right stage of maturity.
“Before the workshop, I confused all the different categories. Now I finally understand why Saint-Nectaire has almost nothing in common with Comté.”
— Julien, participant
“The explanations are simple and always supported by the cheeses you’re tasting. That makes everything much easier to remember.”
— Marie, participant
“I finally understood that a cheese’s family already tells you a great deal about its flavor and texture.”
— Laurent, food enthusiast
No.
Androuet workshops are specifically designed to help you recognize them gradually, with no previous knowledge required.
Yes.
Through tasting, observation, and the explanations of our Master Cheesemongers, the differences quickly become clear.
The main families remain the same, but the individual cheeses change according to the season, availability, and stage of maturity.
That isn’t the goal.
The aim is to give you simple reference points that will help you better understand the cheeses you later discover at a cheesemonger, restaurant, or dinner table.
After an Androuet workshop, a cheese board no longer feels like a random collection of specialties.
You’ll recognize the major families, understand the key differences in production, identify the main styles of aging, and choose cheeses that better match your tastes.
For more than 115 years, the House of Androuet has shared this cheese culture with one essential ambition:
To make a remarkable gastronomic heritage accessible to everyone.
Would you like to learn how to recognize the different cheese families by tasting them?
👉 Discover all of our cheese workshops:
https://androuet.com/offre-ateliers
Why Join a Cheese Tasting Workshop?
What Happens During a Cheese Tasting Workshop? The Complete Guide Before Your First Tasting ?
What Will You Learn During a Cheese Workshop?
Can You Give a Cheese Workshop as a Gift? An Original Experience They’ll Truly Remember ?
What Is the Difference Between a Cheese Tasting and a Cheese Class?
Which Cheese Workshop Is Best for Beginners?
How Many Cheeses Do You Taste During a Cheese Workshop?
How Can You Learn to Recognize the Different Cheese Families During a Workshop?
How Do You Taste Cheese Like a Master Cheesemonger?
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