Know your cheeses and their seasons: which to eat in France in September

France is synonymous with a variety of gastronomic delights, but perhaps none more so than cheese.

Hundreds of varieties of cheese dot the landscape (as General Charles de Gaulle once famously referred to) and it can often be tempting to plump for a long-term favourite when shopping at your local fromagerie. 

Despite being available year-round in most cases however, cheeses have periods where they are most ‘in season’, just as fruits and vegetables do. 

This is largely based on production methods, as well how the milk used to make the cheese is altered by what animals eat (which is itself affected by the season the animals eat it). 

Maturation of the cheese also impacts when it is best to be consumed – whilst some cheeses are kept for months or years before being put up for sale, other cheeses are only stored for a few days before reaching shop shelves. 

Online cheesemonger la boîte du fromager has put together a cheese calendar, showing which cheeses are best to consume in each month. 

Below, we look at its picks for September.

‘Strong’ cheeses make a showing

The cheesemonger site states that autumn is a month for cheeses with ‘strong characters’ to shine. 

“The grass that grows back at this time is rich and particularly fragrant. As a result, autumn cheese has a pronounced taste and a dense aroma,” it says. 

In particular, it recommends three cheeses to eat in September:

Gouda

Despite being a Dutch cheese, Gouda is common on tables in France, both for its accessibility and access. 

The cheese can come in both younger varieties, where it has a more fruity taste, or after a period of maturation (between 12 and 18 months). 

This vieux gouda has a richer flavour, stronger and spicier than its younger variety, but both the young and old forms are recommended for September. 

Versions of gouda which have been mixed with spices (primarily pepper and cumin) are also available. 

Rocamadour 

This goat’s cheese is emblematic of the hillsides of central France, with most production being centred in the Lot department. 

Most versions of Rocamadour you can find in supermarkets are extremely fresh, having only matured for between 12 and 15 days before going onto the shelves. 

This means the flavour of the cheese – soft and creamy but with the distinctive tang of a chèvre – is directly impacted by the fragrant late August grass consumed by the goats. 

The cheese has had an AOC (appellation d'origine contrôlée) label since 1996. 

Read more: What are IGP/AOC/AOP labels on French products?

Tête de moine

The final cheese recommended for September is monk’s head (tête de moine), coming from Switzerland. 

It is a cow’s cheese that has been produced in the Alpine valleys for over 800 years, which now also benefits from an AOP status. 

Similarly to Rocamadour, the rich Alpine grass cows feed on is responsible for its taste – strong but not overpowering, and with fruity undertones. 

The cheese is also not cut into blocks as many other similar products, but cut into wafer-thin ‘roses’ using a special device called a girolle. 

Another cheese that is extremely popular in the autumn months and has recently his shelves is the Mont d'Or - read about it in our article below. 

 Read more: Popular Mont d’Or cheese 'season' begins in France and runs until May 2025