Cheeses You Can't Find In America (Slideshow)
Vacherin Mont d’ Or
The annual appearance of Vacherin Mont d' Or each fall is a matter for celebration in Switzerland and France. Soft and spreadable, with an almost liquid consistency (it is typically served with a spoon), this pale yellow cheese tastes slightly acidic and is more or less the consistency of fondue. It has been produced for about 200 years. Swiss Vacherin is made with pasteurized milk, so is sometimes imported into the U.S. The French equivalent is only unpasteurized, however, so that's one that we have to forego in this country.
Brie de Meaux
Named after the town of Meaux in France, Brie de Meaux is produced in the historical Brie region — which is more or less the modern-day Seine-et-Marne — but may be matured not only there but also in Loiret, Aube, Marne, Haut-Marne, Meuse, and Yonne. A soft and creamy, straw-colored, unpasteurized cheese, traditional Brie de Meaux has a rich, milky flavor underlined by sweet and buttery flavors of mushrooms and almonds; it goes well with Champagne or with red Bordeaux or Burgundy. Brie de Meaux has a notable history: There is evidence that the cheese was enjoyed by the Emperor Charlemagne in the 774 A.D. It is also said that Louis XVI's last wish was to taste the cheese. And in 1814, the European Tournament at Congress of Vienna named Brie de Meaux "Le Roi des Fromages," or "The King of Cheeses" for its superb flavor and texture. The original version, never pasteurized, is simply not welcome in the U.S.
Camembert de Normandie
Originally made from unpasteurized milk by Marie Harel in Normandy, in 1791, Camembert de Normandie is bland, hard, and crumbly when fresh, but as it matures, it becomes smooth and runny with a white, bloomy, rind that is meant to be eaten with the cheese. The pale yellow cheese has a milky and sweet flavor when fresh, and after maturing, becomes strong, fruity, and buttery. It's traditionally paired with Normandy cider. Perhaps even more than Brie, it seems to suffer from pasteurization — though the pasteurized version is the only one sold legally in America.
Selles sur Cher
Made for the first time in the 19th century, this cheese is named after its birthplace, the commune of Selles-sur-Cher in the Loir-et-Cher, in Sologne in Central France. Selles sur Cher is a soft, slightly salty goat cheese that is dusted with vegetable ash and often develops a white, gray, or black mold on its rind. The rind, which has a pungent flavor, is often eaten with the cheese. Selles sur Cher is now made within the regions of Cher, Indre, and Loir-et-Cher. Pasteurized versions are rarely seen in the U.S., and, in any case, aren't the same as the real thing.
Mimolette
An orange-colored, hard cheese similar to Edam, made from pasteurized milk and ripened with exposure to cheese mites (dust-like, microscopic mites that inhabit the rind), Mimolette has a fruity smell and a mild, salty, nutty flavor. The cheese is produced in Lille, in northeastern France, and is sometimes known as Boule de Lille. Its importation was recently banned in the United States due to the possible health threat from those mites, pending further study.