Cheese Database

Fromage blanc vs Petit-suisse

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.

Petit-suisse

Facts

Milk
Cow
Texture
Fresh
Type
Fresh
Rind
No rind
Country
France
Place
Auvilliers

Petit-suisse is a fresh cow's milk cheese from Auvilliers, in France. The name means little Swiss, but the cheese is not a Swiss wheel with eyes. It is sold in a small soft portion, enriched with cream so the body is smooth and rich, and it is unsalted or barely salted. There is no rind and no long aging into a firm paste. You eat it with a spoon, often soon after the pot is opened.