MAP: A tour of France by local cheeses - how many have you tried?

One of the first things most people think of when they hear France is cheese and for good reason, with varieties such as camembert, emmental, comté and roquefort eaten the world over.

France’s most famous 20th-century president, Charles de Gaulle, even referenced the sheer amount of types of cheese in France, saying:

“Comment voulez-vous gouverner un pays où il existe 246 variétés de fromage?”

(How can you govern a country that has 246 varieties of cheese?)

Mr de Gaulle may actually have been underestimating the diversity of fromage.

The cheese guide, published yearly by cheese magazine Profession Fromager counts 2,753 French cheeses. Meanwhile the Centre National Interprofessionnel de l'Economie Laitière counts around 1,200.

The disparity is probably down to the fact that many cheeses with the same recipe are branded differently depending on the region as part of a marketing strategy by cheese producers.

Read more: Can I take cheese from France to the UK post-Brexit?

In any case, there is little doubt that there is an enormous amount of cheese in France.

In our map below, we pick out some of our favourite cheese from around the country.

Do you know any extras to add to our selection - and how many have you tried? Tell us via news@connexionfrance.com.

The above map is part of our ongoing series showcasing different elements of French society and culture through maps.

We have also written about funny commune names, local sweets and desserts, local aperitifs and many other topics.

If you have any suggestions for maps you would like us to make or think we should add anything to our previous articles, let us know at news@connexionfrance.com.

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