Noble French cheeses have firmly taken their place in the Russian diet, and yet it is not easy to navigate their diversity. Denis Bernard Marie Hamon, the owner of Paris Gastronomy Distribution, a company that has been supplying the Russian market with more than 30 varieties of farm cheeses for more than 20 years, talks about the national pride of France.

Guide : How many types of cheese have you personally tasted?

Denis Bernard Marie Hamon: I never counted. But I think I have tried all French cheeses. If we sit down to dinner, we can’t do without cheese. You could say this is a kind of diet, but in France, when I return home after a day of work, I only eat cheese - and nothing else. I also love cheese for dessert. In Normandy, we often make fondue at our dacha. There are cheeses that can be spread on bread, and cheeses that are added to salads or served hot. Cheese is food for any time of the day; it is used to make sauce and soup, served for dessert and as a separate dish.

G.: What foods and drinks do cheeses go with?

D.A.: There is a classic combination - cheese and red wine. In our family this rule is immutable. But today many people like to improvise. One of the latest trends is white wine and goat cheese. A cheese plate must include nuts and fruits: almonds and walnuts go well with all cheeses, and the taste of blue cheeses is enhanced by grapes. Cheese goes well with almost any food. It’s hard for me to imagine just cheese with fish—salmon, for example.

G.: What determines the quality of cheese?

D.A.: First of all, from the taste of milk. Cheeses made from sheep's or goat's milk differ in taste from cheeses made from cow's milk. Cheeses made from fresh farm milk differ from cheeses made from pasteurized milk. Nowadays, most cheeses are made from pasteurized cow's milk - but pasteurization kills the taste and prevents the cheese from ripening. Even the time of year affects the taste: cheese made from winter milk is drier than cheese made from summer milk.

G.: What are the preferences of Russians?

D.A.: Russians are very curious, they love to taste new dishes and experiment. They quickly learn to understand French cheeses: in the last year alone, sales of Roquefort to Russia have tripled! Just a few years ago, the main buyers of farm cheeses were restaurants, but now at least 50% of sales come from shops and boutiques. This means that a once unusual product is moving from the category of exotic to “everyday consumer goods”. But still, the majority of Russians are still more accepting of traditional hard cheeses made from cow's milk.

G.: How to taste cheese correctly?

D.A.: In order to discover a new type of cheese, you need to try it with wine and bread.

G.: How to choose the right cheese?

D.A.: French cheeses have certification, like wines - Appellation d'Origine Controlee. This is a quality mark confirming that the cheese was made in the specified province, with all required technological processes being carried out. The “stamp” with three letters AOC on the packaging confirms that the cheese is real. But choosing it is not so easy if you were not born and do not live in France. You need to know the manufacturers and regions of production. You need to carefully read the label: what kind of milk the cheese is made from. You need to have knowledge about the properties of a particular variety. Camembert, for example, should be soft, while goat cheese should be harder and drier. And, of course, it’s hardly worth going to the nearest supermarket for good cheese. It’s better to go to a gastronomic boutique, where you can always consult with a knowledgeable person.

Veronica Zubanova

Cheese is the head of everything