Normandy's Fromages AOC

Normandy is Famous for its Cheese Making Tradition:

Normandy Cheeses © Atout France / CDT Calvados

Normandy is a cheese producing region and it has its great cows to thank for the abundance of rich milk that they produce.

Well known specialty cheeses in Normandy include Camembert, Pavé d’Auge, Livarot, Pont l’Evêque, Neufchatel, Boursin, Brillat-Savarain and Brin de Paille.

And if, like  me, you love French soft cheeses, the following four Normandy AOC cheeses are sure to send your tastebuds into meltdown:

• Buttery-textured Camembert de Normandie
• Strong-smelling Orange Livarot
• Creamy Neufchâtel, and
• Golden-coloured Pont-l’Évêque

If you’re travelling in the Pays d’Auge region and are interested in learning about how to make cheese, farms here welcome visitors to learn about the history and processes of Normandy cheese making – from milking the cows, to fermentation and storing and finally the wrapping and boxing of each of its celebrated cheese.

The village of Camembert, in the heart of the Auge region, is where Camembert was first created in 1791. At the President Farm (www.fermepresident.com), the Camembert Museum takes visitors on a journey back to the time when Camembert was first produced and tells the Camembert story.

Graindorge Village Fromager in the canton of Livarot (www.graindorge.fr) is one of the dairies that produce all four AOC cheeses. The dairy also welcomes visitors to take a free tour of its cheese making workshops. From the specially-designed viewing galleries you’ll have an exclusive peek into the industrious production workshops, whilst video displays, audio presentations and information points explain each stage of the complex cheese making process. No doubt there’ll be cheese tasting and you’ll also be able to buy some of their famous AOC cheeses.

Some Interesting and Fun Normandy Cheese Facts >

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