Petit-Suisse

Usually, because of its name, people wrongly attribute Petit-Suisse to Switzerland. In fact, it is a French cheese, first made in Normandy in 1850, in a dairy of Auvilliers near Beauvais. It was the idea of a Swiss employee at the dairy who suggested that adding cream to the curd will enrich the flavour of the cheese. Petit-Suisse is a fresh cheese – unripened, unsalty, smooth and creamy. Its texture is more comparable to a thick yogurt than a cheese. Made from cow’s milk, it is enriched with cream so that it contains at least 40% fat content. The 30g version of the cheese is called Petit-Suisse while larger packagings are referred to as a double Suisse, double petit-suisse or suisse double. Petit-Suisse has a mixture of sweet and sour flavour, and it tastes delicious with jam, fruit, honey and nuts. It is sometimes salted and peppered with herbs. This cheese is also used as a base for several traditional French desserts.