www.fromages.com

Review by Debbie Mazo

From the sunny hills of Provence to the rich pastures of Normandy, France is well-known as one of the chief exporters of cheese in the world. Today, thanks to the Web, you don't have to cross the Atlantic to experience the country's finest. If Roquefort is your passion, then stop by www.fromages.com, one of France's best kept online secrets.

At www.fromages.com, you'll have no trouble understanding Charles de Gaulle when he joked, "How can one govern a country where one can find as many different cheeses as days in the year." As the site confirms, the different varieties of cheese extends to infinity based on cheesemaking considerations like the type of milk used (goat, cow, or ewe) or the different ways of maturing the cheese (in charcoal ashes, flavored with aromatics, or soaked in l'eau de vie).

Browse through the Cheese Board Selection and you'll get a sense of how the French imagination can stimulate your taste buds. From the succulent pate of Camembert to the King of cheeses, Brie, you can view carefully prepared cheese boards along with serving suggestions, tempting photos, and costs in U.S. dollars (and French Francs, of course) for ordering online. If you're already a cheese aficionado, step into the Epicurean Cheese Shop where you can assemble your very own cheese board from a seasonal selection of the finest traditional cheeses that France has to offer.

For everything you ever wanted to know about French cheeses, explore the Gazette which includes crusty delights like a cheese library and an introduction to Pascal, the Cheese Master, who will escort you around his large dairy. In the Gazette, you'll also find monthly recipes like Thin Pancakes with Normandy Camembert to show off the cheese you just purchased.

With its tempting presentation of the finest in French cheese, www.fromages.com is sure to give new meaning to the French proverb, "Without bread, without wine, without cheese, love is nothing."

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