8 delicious European cheeses for your next girls’ night in
Cheese board and chill, anyone?
If you’re in your hosting era, you’ll know that maximum sofa time with your guests is definitely preferable to lengthy cooking sessions, but spenny takeouts don’t quite cut it either. Enter: the grazing board. All you have to do is a quick shop, pop some no-cook bits together and that’s the food sorted. What’s not to love about something you can just unwrap and eat? Not to mention, it’s far cheaper – and bougier – than a pizza delivery.
The king of the grazing platter is, in our humble opinion, the cheese board. But if you’re standing in the dairy aisle feeling a little out of your depth, buying European cheeses, including French ones, is essentially a cheat code for getting it right without really trying. Here are our god-tier picks:
Bleu d’Auvergne PDO
Our choice for the blue category, Bleu d’Auvergne is creamy rather than crumbly and has a lil’ spiciness thrown in at the end. Something sweet alongside it really works here: think crisp grapes or – plot twist – some shortbread.
Salers PDO
For those who love exclusively farmhouse cheese, try Salers: a seasonally made hard cheese that uses special artisan milking techniques, resulting in a deliciously complex flavour. Go trad and serve with walnuts and figs.
Pont-l’Évêque PDO
Square in shape, with a sweet, slightly fruity tang, Pont-l’Évêque is one for those who like a flavoursome cheese. It goes brilliantly with wholewheat crackers and salted almonds, and you can also bake it in its box, Camembert-style, for the ultimate hot dip.
Munster PDO
Moderately strong, Munster is an aromatic addition to your board – and one for the serious cheese girlies. Creamy, with a hint of nuttiness, it’s sublime slathered on slices of baguette and topped with a sweet chutney, for balance.
Morbier PGI
Like ski-chalet-fave Raclette, Morbier is a similarly textured mild alpine offering, but with an elegant line of ash running through the middle (which, fyi, you can’t taste–it's vegetable charcoal, not ‘blue’ penicillium). It’s the ideal choice if you want a cheese that has an interesting look, but aren’t the biggest fan of blue varieties.
Brillat-Savarin PGI
If luxe is your vibe, Brillat-Savarin is exactly what you want to go for. It’s mild, super buttery and rich, since it’s made with triple cream. Spread it on a hunk of toasted sourdough (or, frankly, just cut yourself a wedge and enjoy it as is).
Abondance PDO
Buttery and nutty, Abondance isn’t just a delight to eat, it’s got an equally sweet backstory. Produced by a small Alpine farming co-operative in the peaceful haven of the same name, their dairy cows are pampered with massages and sleep on box-spring mattresses. No wonder it’s so darn delicious.
Saint-Marcellin PGI
A small cheese with a big personality, crinkle-edged Saint-Marcellin can be so runny (depending on the stage of ripening) that it’s usually sold in its own cute little dish. Silky-smooth yet earthy, it’s perfect for scooping up with a thin cracker. Warm it gently in the oven, should you want it even oozier.
Disclaimer: Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or FranceAgriMer. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
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