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HOLLANDE

Hollande to chow down with Russia, US leaders

France's food-loving President François Hollande will get a double dose of dinner on Thursday as he'll break bread in back-to-back meals with the US president and then Russia's top leader.

Hollande to chow down with Russia, US leaders
France's foodie President Francois Hollande will get a double dose of dinner on Thursday. Photo: Gonzalo Fuentes/AFP

French President Francois Hollande has a busy evening planned for Thursday in Paris — and he better work up an appetite.

First on his agenda, dinner at a Parisian restaurant (no name disclosed) with US President Barack Obama, the French leader's office said Tuesday.

Obama will be in France for the 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings that turned the tide of World War II, which will be marked at special ceremonies in Normandy on Friday.

However he is not the only top leader passing through the City of Light on his way to Normandy.

Paris will also welcome Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose aggressive policies in Ukraine have caused the worst East-West relations since the Cold War.

After meeting with Obama for a 7:00 pm dinner the French president will squeeze in a "souper" (light supper) with Putin at the Elysee Palace around 9:00 pm.

At the two dinner dates, the conversation will include the crisis in Ukraine where the new pro-West Kiev government is battling a pro-Russian insurgency in the east of the country, Hollande's office said.

But after the meals don't expect any press conferences, it added. 

While Hollande is making the rounds in Paris, Obama and Putin are not expected to cross paths until all invited leaders gather for lunch in Normandy at the Benouville chateau followed by the D-Day ceremonies at Ouistreham.

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FOOD AND DRINK

Cheese in numbers: France’s obsession with fromage

From cheese types to the amount eaten per year, via cheese favourites - here's a look at how France really feels about fromage.

Cheese in numbers: France’s obsession with fromage

March 27th is the Journée nationale du fromage in France – so here are a few facts about the delicious dairy delicacy.

246

Charles de Gaulle famously once asked of governing France: “How can anyone govern a country with 246 varieties of cheese?”.

His numbers were wrong. Producers in France make closer to 1,000 varieties of cheese – and some have estimated that figure could be pushed up as high as 1,600.

8

The number of cheese ‘families’ in France. A good cheeseboard in France is generally considered to consist of at least three ‘families’ – a soft cheese, a hard cheese and either a blue or a goat’s cheese. Remember, too, an odd number of fromages on a platter is better than an even number, according from cheese etiquettists

READ ALSO France Facts: There are eight cheese families in France

2.5

About how long – in years – it would take you to try every cheese made in France, if you tried a new variety every day. Life goals. 

95

The percentage of people in France who say they eat cheese at least once a week, spending seven percent of their weekly food bill on it.

READ ALSO Best Briehaviour: Your guide to French cheese etiquette

40

Two-fifths of French people say they eat cheese every day

57

The amount of cheese produced, in kilogrammes, in France every second, according to this website, which has a counter to show you how fast that really is. It’s estimated that 1.8 million tonnes of cheese are produced in France every year.

27

The French consume, on average, a whopping 27 kilogrammes of cheese per person per year.

READ ALSO Fonduegate: Why customer service is different in France

3

The three most popular cheeses in France, based on sales, are Emmental, Camembert, and Raclette – followed by mozzarella, goat’s cheese, Comté and Coulommiers.

63

Some 63 cheeses have been awarded the Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée status, which means they can only be produced in a certain region.

1

France has – or at least soon will have – one dedicated cheese museum. 

READ ALSO Three things to know about the new Paris cheese museum

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