“Philly’’ a phoney for real French fromages.

The French people are precious about their cheeses and savour the nose, palate and taste of their ancient fromages with as much passion as their wines.

But now there is an American invader, the odourless Philadelphia Cream cheese which is attacking the land of camembert, brie and Roquefort fighting for a share of the 24kg (53lb) of cheese eaten by the average Frenchman each year.

In a trial move into the lucrative French cheese market, Kraft, the US food giant has packed its product on supermarket shelves in western and southern regions of France.

Purists, who reckon there is no cheese like a French cheese are fighting the move by Kraft warning that the survival of the cheese industry is at stake.

The US giant has pushed its foot in the door in France, which is already suffering a decline in its unpasteurised cheese products, which has seen sales of camembert fall by 2.6 per cent last year while industrial cream cheese sales rose by three per cent.

However, an article by Adam Sage in The Times, states that French people are already being weaned off quality cheeses to French brands equivalent to “Philly”such as St Meret, made by Bongrain, the French food group.

“Ninety per cent of French people eat cheese which has no taste and the texture of rubber now,’’ said Virginie Boularouah, who runs the Fromagerie Chez Virginie in Paris.

She doesn’t say it’s a bad thing, but has little nice to say about the product.

“It’s just that it doesn’t taste of anything and it doesn’t smell of anything much either.’’

Leave it for a base for cheesecake she advises.

Because it won’t hold a candle to the authentic French cheeses such as comte, which takes 40 months to mature, let alone those delicious fresh goats milk cheeses sold in cheese boutiques and village markets all over France.

Be Sociable, Share!