How Do Cheesemakers Control the Texture of French Cheese?

Oct 28 2026

French cheese has some unique characteristics which make it one of the most distinctive food products in the world, and this is a general view even though there are so many different variations of French cheese. Taste, colour, appearance and aroma describe how cheeses such as Brie de Meaux, Abondance and Roquefort are celebrated and enjoyed globally, but texture is a characteristic that is often underplayed, and yet it has an important role in how French cheese is enjoyed.
The texture of French cheese can be described as soft, firm, crumbly or moist, and people have their own preferences. But one thing we insist on is consistency, so how are distinctive textures achieved by French cheesemakers?

The influence of the entire cheesemaking process on texture

In truth, cheese texture is a by-product of the entire cheesemaking process, rather than one element of it. Cheesemaking traditions are based on years and generations of experience, sometimes dating back to medieval times, but even back then, the cheesemaking process was about controlling the texture through moisture control, curd size, heating, handling the cheese, salting and aging. We can look at some of these processes individually:

Curd size – Smaller curds release more whey and hence tend to be drier cheeses, such as Comte or Cantal, while curds left in larger chunks retain more moisture and mature into a softer and creamier cheeses, such as Coulommiers.
Heating temperatures – Curds heated at higher temperatures will dry and harden quicker while, again, curds which are kept cooler will retain more moisture and result in a softer cheese.
Handling techniques – Individual cheeses undergo different handling techniques at this stage. Some cheeses are stacked and turned, which squeezes out moisture and gives a cheese more body, while other curds are stretched and kneaded, which can develop milk proteins and give the cheese more elasticity. Pressing is very influential in final texture, as the amount of pressure applied has a direct impact on moisture content, so at this stage the cheesemaker can carefully control how delicate or firm they want the final texture to be.
Salting – The application of salt, via brining or rubbing, draws out any remaining moisture, but also slows down bacterial growth, which stabilises the texture.
Ageing – This is a process technically known as ‘Affinage’, and sees the main chemical processes develop in environments where temperature and humidity are tightly controlled, and which creates the final texture. Different ageing periods have an effect on protein structure which can result in softer cheeses in shorter periods and harder cheeses in longer periods.

The cheesemaking process is not an exact science, because a wide range of different parameters combine to make each cheese unique, and we can see in all the processes described above how small tweaks here and there can change how the texture of the final cheese is arrived at, and this is before we consider how different cheeses develop their own smell, taste and look. Regarding texture, many people think it is as simple as soft cheeses ageing quickly and hard cheeses ageing slowly, and while this is generally true, the cheesemaker applies skill and knowledge at each stage to manipulate how the final texture will appear, and to make sure it is consistent and to the standard cheese lovers the world over expect.

You can check out the quality of French cheese textures yourself, by ordering your favourites from Sodiaal UK today.