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FOOD AND DRINK

French cheeses fails to make top 10 on new international ranking

French cheese fans could not brie-live the results of a new international cheese ranking that did not list any French cheeses in the top 10.

Published: 17 February 2023 17:33 CET
French cheeses fails to make top 10 on new international ranking
A camembert cheese of Normandy. (Photo by MYCHELE DANIAU / AFP)

France is known lovingly as the land of the cheese, so naturally fans of French gastronomy were disappointed by the results of a ranking of the ‘100 Best Rated Cheeses in the World’ compiled by the TasteAtlas food website and published online.

Not a single French cheese placed in the top 10.

The best French cheese, according to the ranking, was Reblochon, and it came in 13th place, behind eight Italian cheeses, one Mexican, one Portuguese, and even one Polish. 

READ MORE: Are these Italian cheeses really the best in the world?

After Reblochon, Comté took the 14th slot. Overall, only eight French cheeses made the top 50 list, with most of those falling to the latter half of the ranking.

Understandably, France’s pride was a bit damaged by these results. It is, after all, home to over 1,000 different types of cheese and the country where (as of 2021) people consumed over 24 kg of cheese per person for the year.

Some frustrated French cheese enthusiasts even took to Twitter to suggest that Italy had somehow rigged the vote. Others responded to the tweet by telling Taste Atlas to “delete their account” and that the ranking was n’importe quoi (ridiculous).

France’s TV channel BFTMV reportedly called the result a “crushing blow for French gastronomy”.

To be fair, some of these French fans might have held a grudge against Taste Atlas after another one of its rankings last year placed France behind America for the best world cuisine. This time, the United States did not make the list for top 50 cheeses, and neither did the United Kingdom.

As for the Italian winners, some fans of Italian cheese were also a bit dismayed by the ranking, claiming that those that made the top 10 were not representative of the best cheeses Italy has to offer.

This also begged the question of whether the French cheeses listed on Taste Atlas’ list were truly the best France has to offer.

READ MORE: QUIZ: Test your knowledge with the ultimate French cheese quiz

As of Friday afternoon, in a poll by The Local, Roquefort was in the lead, closely followed by Camembert. Polling will remain open until Monday, so you can make your voice heard. 

Ultimately, Taste Atlas defended their methodology in a Tweet thread. They explained that the results are based on user ratings as “people rate those foods (not cuisines) in our database” throughout the year.

“At the end of the year, we take the average of the best-rated dishes in each kitchen (so that France is not brought down by frogs, for example). And that’s it.”

READ MORE: Reader question: Do the French really eat frogs, snails and horses?

“No one likes that list, but it is a reflection of the valid voices of real people,” TasteAtlas said.

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ENVIRONMENT

Why Bordeaux wine is under threat in France this year

Winemakers in the famous French Bordeaux wine region fear the weather conditions this spring may lead to a disastrous harvest.

Published: 10 May 2024 15:48 CEST
Why Bordeaux wine is under threat in France this year

It’s the second year in a row that mildew has threatened Bordeaux vines. Around 90 percent of vineyards were affected by mildew to some extent in 2023, according to the regional chamber of agriculture.

But this year, the fungus has appeared earlier than usual. “If the weather continues, it’s going to be a disaster,” one vineyard owner told regional newspaper Sud Ouest, as mildew threatens crops. “I’ve never seen mildew strike so early.”

In its latest plant bulletin, the Gironde Chamber of Agriculture underlines the “favourable climatic conditions for [mildew] development” and is pessimistic for the coming days, fearing an increase in potential risk.

In the end, the 2023 harvest was reasonable, helped by favourable August weather – though a heatwave towards the end of the month raised concerns over working conditions.

READ MORE: France to revise its Champagne-making area due to climate change

But last year’s outbreak and the weather so far in 2024 has brought the ‘mildew season’ forward in parts of the region. The Grand Libournais and Graves winegrowing areas are particularly affected, according to May’s Bulletin de Santé du Végétal for Nouvelle Aquitaine.

Winegrowers in the Blayais region, meanwhile, have noticed that mildew spread is erratic – but the expected return of rainy conditions in the early part of next week have prompted concerns that the fungus’s spread will only increase.

“There are abandoned plots, neighbours who haven’t pruned their vines or estates that have been unable to carry out an uprooting program because of the incessant rain,” one vineyard owner said.

Official figures suggest that some 2,000 hectares of vines are uncultivated in the Gironde alone. The Fédération Départementale des Syndicats d’Exploitants Agricoles insists that the real figure is much larger – with implications for the health of neighbouring cultivated vines.

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