Did you know that the way you cut cheese affects its flavor and texture? Here are a few tips to ensure French cheeses are enjoyed to their full potential.

For most cheeses, the core is soft and creamy, while the flavor becomes more pronounced near the rind. Therefore, when cutting cheese, follow this rule: give everyone equal portions and distribute the rind and the heart evenly across each serving.

Round cheese. Round cheeses such as Camembert should be cut like a cake: everyone receives a wedge.

Large triangular cheese. Cheeses such as Brie de Meaux can be cut into staggered slices from the center to the midpoint. As you get closer to the rind, cut the slices lengthwise.

Rectangular cheese. For cheeses such as Comté, Beaufort, or Ossau-Iraty, start at the soft part. Cut slices of cheese from the point parallel to the rind. Once you reach the halfway point, you can fan them out to distribute the rind evenly.

Square cheese. For a square cheese, it is customary to cut it once diagonally to create two equal triangles. You can then cut each piece in half to create 4, 8, or 16 equal portions.

Blue cheese. Marbled cheeses such as Roquefort or Bleu d’Auvergne should be cut so that everyone receives an equal amount of marbling and rind. Therefore, it is best to cut them in a fan shape.

Pyramid-shaped cheese. Cheeses such as Pouligny-Saint-Pierre or Pyramide de Valençay should be cut into thin slices across their entire height.

Cylindrical cheese. Goat cheeses in the shape of a cylinder, such as Sainte-Maure de Touraine, are best cut into parallel slices.

Knives
When serving a cheese board, provide several cheese knives (couteaux à fromage) so that the flavors of the different cheeses do not mix. A knife with a long, curved blade is ideal for cutting soft or blue-veined cheeses. If the cheese is firmer, choose a knife with a short, pointed blade. If the cheese is very hard, you can also break it or create shavings using a vegetable peeler.