Quel Fromage! Not one French cheese has appeared on a list of the world’s best ten.
Despite France being synonymous with cheese it was Italy that took eight of the top ten spots.
The big cheese was Parmesan – described as “nutty to robust and slightly piquant”.
Two other Italian varieties ranked highly, with burrata coming in second, followed by the hard cheese Grana Padano.
The only two other countries to make the list were Portugal’s Serra da Estrela and Polish Bundz,
Both are made from sheep’s milk.
The list that’s causing a stink was compiled by food website Taste Atlas, based in Bulgaria.
The French only make an entry at number 13 with Reblochon.
Comté from eastern France is 14th.
It was hard cheddar for British cheeses as not one made the top 100.
The French news channel BFMTV suggested the judges “must have been Italian”.
Meanwhile, social media gastronomes were left with a bitter taste in their mouths.
One wrote: “I definitely don’t agree.
“Reblochon, the first French cheese?
“The person who did this list doesn’t know anything about French cheese.”
Another wrote: “An extremely stupid list, I’d say.”
Cheesemaker Yves Jourquin argued that the Taste Atlas findings accurately reflected the popularity of Italian cheeses around the globe.
He explained: “The ruling makes sense because Parmesan remains one of the most emblematic cheeses and can be found on all tables in France.
“I’m not sure you’d find French cheese on Italian tables.”
