The national day seeks to champion rare and raw milk cheeses from across the country
The national day was created in 2001 and aims to celebrate and raise awareness of French raw milk cheese as a “theme of national importance”
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Today (March 27) marks National Cheese Day in France, or la Journée nationale du fromage, which seeks to champion rare cheeses and those from raw milk, across the country.
The national day was created in 2001 and aims to celebrate and raise awareness of French raw milk cheese as a “theme of national importance”.
The official website states: “Much more than a food product, it symbolises our culture, our know-how, the diversity and colour of our land, the variety of animal breeds that have shaped the landscape, and our gastronomic reputation throughout the world.”
The Guide du Fromage association has called for French raw cheese to be considered equal to wine when it comes to the “major cultural products” of the country, and for “grands crus” to be recognised in the same way.
It asked, somewhat tongue-in-cheek: “Where are the maps of cheese in restaurants, or specialists advising their clients [in the same way as sommeliers for wine]? Is there specialist media dedicated to cheese?”
It said: “The association is alerting French citizens to the ‘trivialisation’ of this product, [despite it being] highly symbolic of a centuries-old heritage.”
The Association fromages de terroirs (AFT) added: “Raw milk cheese…is still too often marginalised in France.
“The consumption of raw milk cheeses decreases each year by about 4% while the overall consumption of cheeses remains stable (25kg per year per inhabitant).”
Raw milk cheese is cheese made with non-sterilised milk, and proponents say that it is safe, healthy, and good for the environment.
The AFT states: “National cheese day is a unique opportunity for cheese lovers to share a moment of tasting and discovery.”
A raw milk cheese selection for your cheeseboard
So what are some of the best raw milk cheeses in France? Online taste and flavour encyclopaedia TasteAtlas rates them every year, including these in the top five for 2026 (the full list is available here):
1. Saint-Félicien
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Saint-Félicien is a soft cow’s milk cheese from the Rhône-Alpes, with a smooth, creamy texture and a mild flavour combining lactic tang, butteriness and light nutty notes. Owing to its fragility, it is often sold in small terracotta pots.
2. Saint-André
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Saint-André is a French triple-crème cow’s milk cheese from Normandy, notable for its exceptionally rich, dense and creamy texture beneath a soft rind. Its flavour is mild yet indulgent, combining lactic tang with buttery, lightly salty notes.
3. Mont d’Or
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A very soft cow’s milk cheese from the Haut-Doubs. Packaged in a wooden spice box that holds it in place. A “full, rich, sweet, grassy and slightly acidic” flavour. Good with sparkling wine.
4. Beaufort
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Beaufort is a hard cheese from the Rhône-Alpes, made from raw milk of Tarentaise cattle and produced since the Middle Ages. It is aged for several months, with regular salt-rubbing early on and rind development aided by washes of brine and whey, giving it its characteristic convex shape and firm texture.
5. Comté
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Comté is a large, cooked pressed cheese made from unpasteurised cow’s milk in the Jura massif, notably in the Doubs, Jura and Haute-Saône. Aged for a minimum of four months and regularly turned and brushed during maturation, it develops a firm yet supple texture that can be sliced, grated or melted.
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