Fresh cheese, made with cow's milk, or sometimes goat or ewe's milk is neither fermented nor matured.

Soft, bloomy rind cheeses constitute a large family of cheeses with diverse methods of fabrication. The name comes from the characteristics of the pate of the cheeses and the development of the surface mould after it has been matured.

Washed rind cheeses are characterised by their rind which is a pale yellow, orange, reddish colour and their pungent smell.

Blue cheeses are characterised by their development of Penicillium requeforti or glaucum. These cheeses can be made with cow’s, ewe’s or goat’s milk.

The particularity of this family of cheese is the diversity of the cheeses, but they all have one point in common which is the pressing of the curds whilst being drained.

Cooked, pressed cheeses are large and have a higher level of dry matter (60 to 63%) than their uncooked relatives; they are drained intensely with the help of mechanical acceleration. 

Goat’s cheese was introduced in Europe by the Arabic invasions. After the battle of Poitiers of 532AD, the Saracens settled in Poitou and raised goats.