Cheese Day!

In an attempt to alert the nation to the gradual disappearance of its splendid and varied cheese heritage, hundreds of events were held across France [on April 9] to celebrate National Cheese Day.

"In the past 30 years, more than 50 varieties of French cheese have disappeared for ever. Other types are down to their last two or three traditional producers," said Véronique Richez-Lerouge, head of the association which promotes traditional French cheeses. "The share of the market taken by industrial, pasteurised cheeses, which are actually fake cheeses, with a fraction of the true taste and character, is growing all the time."

France has probably lost more cheeses than most other nations ever had:

President Charles de Gaulle once famously said that it was impossible to govern a country with 365 different kinds of cheese. This was an understatement. France has at least 600 distinct kinds of cheese. Some "fromagophiles" insist that it has more than 1,000. Only Italy can begin to match that kind of diversity.

From the Independent.

Posted by David on April 11, 2005 7:59 PM