Cheese Database

Cervelle de Canut vs Fromage blanc

Cervelle de Canut

Facts

Texture
Fresh
Type
Fresh
Rind
No rind
Country
United States

Cervelle de Canut is a seasoned fresh cheese spread, made by beating soft curds with herbs, shallot, oil, and vinegar. The dish belongs to French cooking, where the pale mixture is served cold with bread or potatoes. This record lists the country as the United States, and some American dairies sell a version under the same name. It is a preparation, not a pressed wheel, and it has no rind. You eat it soon after it is mixed, while the herbs still taste fresh.

Fromage blanc, field guide plate
Fromage blanc, photographed

Fromage blanc

Facts

Milk
Cow
Texture
Fresh
Type
Fresh
Rind
No rind
Country
France

Fromage blanc is a fresh cow's milk cheese from France, soft and white, with no rind and no aging. The name means white cheese, and the body is smooth enough to eat with a spoon. Makers set the milk with lactic cultures, then drain the whey until the curd is thick but still moist. A plain pot tastes mildly tangy, like cultured cream that has been lightly soured. It belongs with yogurt and quark, not with pressed wheels that sit on a board for a long time.