Curd cheese Curd cheese is only slightly drained and does not mature. It is best known as cottage cheese or fromage blanc. Some types of curd cheese are flavoured with pepper, garlic or herbs to give them a stronger taste. A fine example is Le Rustique fromage frais, le Prédou.
	Soft cheese with a white rind The rind is white with a slight bloom. The cheesees owe their name to this white mould that develops as they mature. The best known are probably Camembert, Brie Révérend, Coulommiers and Le Rustique.
	Soft cheese with a washed rind These cheeses have a well-developed flavour and a creamy inside. During the maturing process they are washed with brine then brushed to stimulate fermentation and encourage the rind to develop its orange, slightly moist appearance. They include Pont-l'Evêque, Lisbeth Munster, and Tourrée Le Rustique.
	Veined cheese Commonly referred to as blue cheese, these varieties owe their name to the mould that develops on the inside, giving them their specific flavour. The cheese is neither cooked nor pressed. Long needles are inserted leaving tiny passages along which the blue veins can develop. The best known are probably Fourme d'Ambert, Sancy, Bleu d'Auvergne Sancy, Bleu de Gex and Bleu des Causses Sancy.
	Goat's cheese Similar to the soft cheeses with a white rind but made exclusively using goat's milk. Depending on how old they are, they may be fresh, soft, half-dry, dry or hard. Sometimes they are sprinkled with herbs or other aromatic substances, or indeed wrapped in vine leaves.
	Uncooked pressed cheese These semi-hard cheeses are pressed mechanically to speed up draining. After maturing slowly for two or three months they achieve their full, but subtle flavour. They include Cantal, Tomme de Savoie, Saint-Nectaire Sancy, Riches Monts Raclette and Riches Monts Tartiflette cheese.
	Cooked pressed cheese These cheeses mature for a long time, up to six months or even a year. They are pressed, resulting in a firm texture. The holes so typical of Emmental or Comté are caused by carbon dioxide released during maturing.
	Melted cheese This type of cheese is obtained by melting one or more types of pressed cheese, which may have been cooked or not, and in some cases adding milk, cream, spices and other flavouring. They include spreading cheese sold in individual portions.