Dégustation de fromages

What trip to France would be complete without some cheese tasting? In all reality, I knew the French were fanatics about their fromage, but I didn't realize how fanatical it actually was. Someone indicated to me that there are over 300 different types of cheese in France. Imagine walking into the grocery section at Wal-Mart and seeing 300 different types of cheese to pick from. So far, I've tried Beaufort (made in the Savoie region), Saint-Nectaire (made in Auvergne region), Tomme de Savoie (also from the Savoie region), and many others that I'm not able to remember. I'm not much for the strong cheese flavor, but Beaufort and Saint-Nectaire have been among my favorites.

My host family asked me the other day what kinds of cheese we eat in the United States. I sort of drew a blank, with only cheddar, Swiss, and Colby-Jack coming to mind. I did mention to them about Kraft Easy Cheese that comes in the easy-to-use spray can. I even showed them a picture (below) of the product, prominently displaying four different flavors: Cheddar, Sharp Cheddar, American, and my favorite, Cheddar and Bacon. I still laugh every time I replay their reaction in my head.

Perhaps there is a market for spray cheese here in France. Maybe I could start a business here manufacturing Roquefort in an easy-to-use, 1/2 liter size spray bottle. Maybe some Brie as well. The cans could be sold right along side the baguettes, with the slogan "bringing France into the 21st century, one cheese at a time." I think I'm on to something here...