Wikipedia - User contributions [en]

Brie

2009-07-16T19:53:36Z

Chefperlman: /* See also */

{{for|the French province|Brie (region)}}
{{Refimprove|date=October 2008}}

{{Infobox Cheese
| name = Brie
| image = [[Image:Brie de Meaux close.jpg|280px]]
| othernames =
| country = [[France]]
| regiontown = [[Seine-et-Marne]]
| region =
| town =
| source = [[Cow]]s
| pasteurised = By law in the [[United States|US]] and [[Australia]],
not in most of [[Europe]]
| texture = Soft-ripened
| fat =
| protein =
| dimensions =
| weight =
| aging = generally one week or more
| certification = [[Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée|AOC]], 1980, for both Brie de Meaux
and Brie de Melun
}}
'''Brie''' is a soft cows' [[cheese]] named after [[Brie (region)|Brie]], the [[France|French]] province in which it originated (roughly corresponding to the modern ''[[département in France|département]]'' of [[Seine-et-Marne]]). It is pale in colour with a slight greyish tinge under crusty white [[mould]]; very soft and savoury with a hint of [[ammonia]]. The white mouldy rind is edible, and is not intended to be separated from the cheese before consumption.

The region in France that gave its name to this cheese (''Brie'') is, in the [[French language]], feminine: ''La Brie'', but French products take the gender of their general category; in this case cheese (''Le fromage'') is masculine, and so Brie is also masculine, ''Le Brie''.

==Production==
Brie may be produced from whole or semi-skimmed milk. The curd is obtained by adding [[rennet]] to raw milk and heating it to a maximum temperature of 37 °C (98.6 °F). The cheese is then cast into moulds, sometimes with a traditional perforated ladle called a "pelle à brie". The 20 cm mould is filled with several thin layers of cheese and drained for approximately 18 hours. The cheese is then taken out of the moulds, salted, inoculated with cheese [[mould]] (''[[Penicillium candida|Penicillium candidum]]'', ''[[Penicillium camemberti]]'' and/or ''[[Brevibacterium linens]]'') and aged in a cellar for at least four to five weeks.

If left to mature for longer, typically several months to a year, the cheese becomes stronger in flavour and taste, the [[pâté]] drier and darker, and the [[rind]] also darker and crumbly, and is called '''Brie Noir''' ''(Fr: Black Brie)''. Around the [[Île-de-France (region)|Île-de-France]], where Brie is made, people enjoy soaking this in [[Café au lait]] and eating it for breakfast.<ref name="DK-FrenchCheese">{{cite book |last= Masui |first= T. |coauthors= Tomoko, Y., Hodgson, R., Robuchon, J. |title= French Cheeses |publisher= [[Dorling Kindersley|DK]] |year= 2004 |isbn= 1-4053-0666-1 }}</ref> Over-ripe brie contains an unpleasant, excessive amount of ammonia, which is produced by the same micro-organisms required for ripening.<ref>McGee, Harold, "On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen." Simon & Schuster, 2004.</ref>

==Varieties==
{{Unreferenced section|date=October 2008}}
[[Image:Brie de Melun.jpg|thumb|''Brie de Melun'']]
There are now many varieties of Brie made all over the world, including plain Brie, herbed varieties, double and triple Brie and versions of Brie made with other types of [[milk]]. Despite the variety of Bries, the French Atlantic government officially certifies only two types of Brie to be sold under that name: '''Brie de Meaux''' (shown above) and '''Brie de Melun'''.

The [[Brie de Meaux]], manufactured outside of [[Paris]] since the 8th century, was originally known as the "King's Cheese" (later, following the [[French Revolution]], the "King of Cheeses") and was enjoyed by the peasantry and nobility alike. It was granted the protection of [[Appellation d'origine contrôlée|AOC]] (Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée) status in 1980, and is produced primarily in the eastern part of the Parisian basin.
{{clr}}

==Serving==
Brie is usually purchased either in a full [[wheel]] or as a wheel segment <ref name="Le brie">{{cite book |last= Androuët |first= P. |title= Le brie |publisher= [[Presses du Village]] |year= 1997 |isbn= 978-8815062253 }}</ref>. Further sub-division in most homes is subject to [[social conventions]] which have arisen in order to ensure that each person partaking in the cheese receives a roughly equal amount of skin. Slices are taken along the radius of the cheese rather than across the point. Removing the more desireable tip from a wedge of brie is known as "pointing the brie" and is widely regarded as a serious social [[faux pas]]<ref name="Histoire du Fromage">{{cite book |last= Benêt |first= J. |title= Histoire du fromage de Langres |publisher= [[Broché]] |year= 2005 |isbn= 978-2878253320 }}</ref>.

==See also==
* [[Camembert (cheese)|Camembert]], a similar cheese.
* [[Ile de France Cheese]], top selling brie cheese brand <ref name="test">[http://iledefrancecheese.com/index.php/About-us.php Ile de France Cheese About Us]</ref>

==References==
{{Commons|Category:Brie|Brie}}
{{Reflist}}

{{br}}
{{French cheeses}}

[[Category:French cheeses]]
[[Category:French products with protected designation of origin]]
[[Category:Cow's-milk cheeses]]
[[Category:Cheeses named in Cheese Shop sketch]]

[[ca:Brie (formatge)]]
[[cs:Brie]]
[[da:Brie]]
[[de:Brie (Käse)]]
[[el:Μπρι (τυρί)]]
[[es:Brie (queso)]]
[[fr:Brie (fromage)]]
[[gl:Brie (queixo)]]
[[hr:Brie (sir)]]
[[it:Brie (formaggio)]]
[[he:ברי]]
[[la:Brie]]
[[hu:Brie]]
[[nl:Brie (kaas)]]
[[ja:ブリーチーズ]]
[[no:Brie]]
[[pl:Brie (ser)]]
[[pt:Brie (queijo)]]
[[ru:Бри (сыр)]]
[[scn:Brie (furmaggiu)]]
[[simple:Brie]]
[[sk:Brie]]
[[sl:Brie]]
[[fi:Brie (juusto)]]
[[sv:Brie]]
[[tr:Brie]]
[[uk:Брі]]
[[zh:布利乾酪]]

Brie

2009-07-16T19:53:08Z

Chefperlman: /* See also */

{{for|the French province|Brie (region)}}
{{Refimprove|date=October 2008}}

{{Infobox Cheese
| name = Brie
| image = [[Image:Brie de Meaux close.jpg|280px]]
| othernames =
| country = [[France]]
| regiontown = [[Seine-et-Marne]]
| region =
| town =
| source = [[Cow]]s
| pasteurised = By law in the [[United States|US]] and [[Australia]],
not in most of [[Europe]]
| texture = Soft-ripened
| fat =
| protein =
| dimensions =
| weight =
| aging = generally one week or more
| certification = [[Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée|AOC]], 1980, for both Brie de Meaux
and Brie de Melun
}}
'''Brie''' is a soft cows' [[cheese]] named after [[Brie (region)|Brie]], the [[France|French]] province in which it originated (roughly corresponding to the modern ''[[département in France|département]]'' of [[Seine-et-Marne]]). It is pale in colour with a slight greyish tinge under crusty white [[mould]]; very soft and savoury with a hint of [[ammonia]]. The white mouldy rind is edible, and is not intended to be separated from the cheese before consumption.

The region in France that gave its name to this cheese (''Brie'') is, in the [[French language]], feminine: ''La Brie'', but French products take the gender of their general category; in this case cheese (''Le fromage'') is masculine, and so Brie is also masculine, ''Le Brie''.

==Production==
Brie may be produced from whole or semi-skimmed milk. The curd is obtained by adding [[rennet]] to raw milk and heating it to a maximum temperature of 37 °C (98.6 °F). The cheese is then cast into moulds, sometimes with a traditional perforated ladle called a "pelle à brie". The 20 cm mould is filled with several thin layers of cheese and drained for approximately 18 hours. The cheese is then taken out of the moulds, salted, inoculated with cheese [[mould]] (''[[Penicillium candida|Penicillium candidum]]'', ''[[Penicillium camemberti]]'' and/or ''[[Brevibacterium linens]]'') and aged in a cellar for at least four to five weeks.

If left to mature for longer, typically several months to a year, the cheese becomes stronger in flavour and taste, the [[pâté]] drier and darker, and the [[rind]] also darker and crumbly, and is called '''Brie Noir''' ''(Fr: Black Brie)''. Around the [[Île-de-France (region)|Île-de-France]], where Brie is made, people enjoy soaking this in [[Café au lait]] and eating it for breakfast.<ref name="DK-FrenchCheese">{{cite book |last= Masui |first= T. |coauthors= Tomoko, Y., Hodgson, R., Robuchon, J. |title= French Cheeses |publisher= [[Dorling Kindersley|DK]] |year= 2004 |isbn= 1-4053-0666-1 }}</ref> Over-ripe brie contains an unpleasant, excessive amount of ammonia, which is produced by the same micro-organisms required for ripening.<ref>McGee, Harold, "On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen." Simon & Schuster, 2004.</ref>

==Varieties==
{{Unreferenced section|date=October 2008}}
[[Image:Brie de Melun.jpg|thumb|''Brie de Melun'']]
There are now many varieties of Brie made all over the world, including plain Brie, herbed varieties, double and triple Brie and versions of Brie made with other types of [[milk]]. Despite the variety of Bries, the French Atlantic government officially certifies only two types of Brie to be sold under that name: '''Brie de Meaux''' (shown above) and '''Brie de Melun'''.

The [[Brie de Meaux]], manufactured outside of [[Paris]] since the 8th century, was originally known as the "King's Cheese" (later, following the [[French Revolution]], the "King of Cheeses") and was enjoyed by the peasantry and nobility alike. It was granted the protection of [[Appellation d'origine contrôlée|AOC]] (Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée) status in 1980, and is produced primarily in the eastern part of the Parisian basin.
{{clr}}

==Serving==
Brie is usually purchased either in a full [[wheel]] or as a wheel segment <ref name="Le brie">{{cite book |last= Androuët |first= P. |title= Le brie |publisher= [[Presses du Village]] |year= 1997 |isbn= 978-8815062253 }}</ref>. Further sub-division in most homes is subject to [[social conventions]] which have arisen in order to ensure that each person partaking in the cheese receives a roughly equal amount of skin. Slices are taken along the radius of the cheese rather than across the point. Removing the more desireable tip from a wedge of brie is known as "pointing the brie" and is widely regarded as a serious social [[faux pas]]<ref name="Histoire du Fromage">{{cite book |last= Benêt |first= J. |title= Histoire du fromage de Langres |publisher= [[Broché]] |year= 2005 |isbn= 978-2878253320 }}</ref>.

==See also==
* [[Camembert (cheese)|Camembert]], a similar cheese.
* [[Ile de France Cheese]], top selling brie cheese brand <ref name="test">[http://iledefrancecheese.com/index.php/About-us.php]</ref>

==References==
{{Commons|Category:Brie|Brie}}
{{Reflist}}

{{br}}
{{French cheeses}}

[[Category:French cheeses]]
[[Category:French products with protected designation of origin]]
[[Category:Cow's-milk cheeses]]
[[Category:Cheeses named in Cheese Shop sketch]]

[[ca:Brie (formatge)]]
[[cs:Brie]]
[[da:Brie]]
[[de:Brie (Käse)]]
[[el:Μπρι (τυρί)]]
[[es:Brie (queso)]]
[[fr:Brie (fromage)]]
[[gl:Brie (queixo)]]
[[hr:Brie (sir)]]
[[it:Brie (formaggio)]]
[[he:ברי]]
[[la:Brie]]
[[hu:Brie]]
[[nl:Brie (kaas)]]
[[ja:ブリーチーズ]]
[[no:Brie]]
[[pl:Brie (ser)]]
[[pt:Brie (queijo)]]
[[ru:Бри (сыр)]]
[[scn:Brie (furmaggiu)]]
[[simple:Brie]]
[[sk:Brie]]
[[sl:Brie]]
[[fi:Brie (juusto)]]
[[sv:Brie]]
[[tr:Brie]]
[[uk:Брі]]
[[zh:布利乾酪]]

SS Île de France

2009-07-16T19:46:54Z

Chefperlman: /* Maiden voyage and early career */

{{refimprove|date=July 2009}}
{|{{Infobox Ship Begin}}
{{Infobox Ship Image
|Ship image=[[Image:SS Ile de France.jpg|300px]]
|Ship caption=SS ''Ile de France''
}}
{{Infobox Ship Career
|Hide header=
|Ship name= ''Ile de France''
|Ship owner=[[Compagnie Générale Transatlantique]]
|Ship operator=
|Ship registry=[[Image:Civil and Naval Ensign of France.svg|20px|Civil and naval ensign of France]] [[France]]
|Ship route=
|Ship ordered=
|Ship builder=Penhoët, [[Saint Nazaire]], [[France]]
|Ship original cost=
|Ship yard number=
|Ship way number=
|Ship laid down=1925
|Ship launched=14 March 1926
|Ship completed=
|Ship christened=14 March 1926
|Ship acquired=
|Ship maiden voyage=22 June 1927
|Ship in service=
|Ship out of service=
|Ship identification=
|Ship fate=Scrapped in [[Osaka]], [[Japan]], 1959
|Ship status=
|Ship notes=
}}
{{Infobox Ship Characteristics
|Hide header=
|Header caption=
|Ship class=[[Ocean liner]]
|Ship tonnage=* 43,153 gross tons (1927)
* 44,356 gross tons (1949)
|Ship displacement=
|Ship length=791 ft
|Ship beam=91 ft
|Ship height=
|Ship draught=
|Ship draft=
|Ship depth=
|Ship decks=
|Ship deck clearance=
|Ship ramps=
|Ship ice class=
|Ship sail plan=
|Ship power=
|Ship propulsion=
|Ship speed=23.5 knots
|Ship capacity='''1,786 total passengers:'''
* 537 First class
* 603 Second class
* 646 Third class
|Ship crew=
|Ship notes=
}}
|}
The '''SS ''Ile de France''''' was a [[France|French]] [[ocean liner]] built in [[Saint-Nazaire]], [[France]] for the [[Compagnie Générale Transatlantique]]. The ship was the first major [[ocean liner]] built after the conclusion of [[World War I]] and was the first liner ever to be entirely decorated with the [[Art Deco]] designs. She was neither the largest ship nor the fastest ship, but she was considered the most beautifully decorated ship built by the [[Compagnie Générale Transatlantique|French Line]] until the {{SS|Normandie|3=2}}.
==Construction and launch==
The construction of the ''Ile de France'' was part of the agreement between the French Line and the [[French government]] dating back to November, 1912. This agreement called for the construction of four passenger-mail ships, with the first ship called {{SS|Paris|3=2}} and the second, ''Ile de France''. [[World War I]] delayed construction until the 1920s, with the ''Paris'' being launched 1916 and not entering service until 1921 and the ''Ile de France'' in 1927. The ''Ile de France'' was launched on 14 March 1926 at the Penhoët shipyard and was greeted by thousands of proud government and company officials, workers, press, and French citizens. The ship would undergo fourteen months of fitting-out and left the shipyards on 29 May for her [[sea trials]].

==Interior==
In 1926, the French Line released an elaborate gold-covered booklet devoted entirely to the company's new flagship. The illustrations depicted huge, ornate yet modern public rooms, female passengers carrying feather fans and smoking cigarettes, and passengers being led around the uncluttered sun deck. <ref>Great Luxury Liners 1927-1954, A Photographic Record by William H. Miller, Jr.</ref>

Never before had a ship shown its own style in interior design like the ''Ile de France''. In the past, ships had imitated the shore-style. The {{RMS|Mauretania|1906|2}}, the {{RMS|Olympic|3=2}} and the {{SS|Imperator|3=2}} had all shown an interior that celebrated styles of the past and could be found in any manor or château situated on land.

By contrast, the interiors of the ''Ile de France'' represented something new. For the first time, a ship's passenger spaces had been designed not to reproduce decorative styles of the past but to celebrate the style of the present. Her fitting-out followed the famous ''Paris Exposition des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes'' of 1925, which gave the world the term ''Art Deco'' and inspired the ''Ile's'' contemporary style.

The ship's degree of modernity was unlike anything previously seen. The first-class dining room was spectacular, never before had the traveling public seen such a room of massive simplicity yet startling attractiveness. The dining room was also the largest afloat, rose three decks high, and had a grand staircase for an entrance. It was a design based not on some landside theme, but created for this ship itself in complete originality.

In addition to the luxurious dining room, there was also a chapel done up in a neo-gothic style, a grand foyer which rose four decks, a shooting gallery, an elaborate gymnasium, and even a merry-go-round for the younger passengers. Every cabin had beds instead of bunks, and even many of the chairs aboard the ''Ile de France'' were totally new in design. <ref>Designing Liners: A History of Interior Design Afloat by Anne Massey</ref>

As each of the major liner companies subsequently planned their next passenger ships, one of the first steps was to visit this most exquisite, extraordinary and trend-setting French vessel.
{{clear}}
[[Image:Ile10R.jpg|thumb|right|250px|The first-class lounge aboard the ''Ile de France''.]]
==Maiden voyage and early career==
Following her sea trials, the ''Ile de France'' sailed to her home port of [[Le Havre]] on June 5, 1927. In the following week, acclaim and praise would resonate from the thousands of reporters and French citizens who flocked to the pier to glimpse visit the new ship. The novelty of Art Deco aboard a ship was an immediate sensation and the reaction of the visiting press would be echoed in favorable reviews the following week.

On June 22, 1927 the ''Ile de France'' sailed from Le Havre for her maiden voyage to [[New York City|New York]]. Upon her arrival in New York she received great attention from the American media and thousands of people crowded the docks just to catch a glimpse of the new ship.

With accommodation for 1,786 passengers, 537 in first-class, the ''Ile de France'', like her running mates the {{SS|France|1912|2}} and ''Paris'', became all the rage. The international Who's Who of politics, aristocracy, business, theater, cinema, arts, and sports boarded the ship at one time or another. Captain Joseph Blancart and his chief purser, Henri Villar, actually received worldwide celebrity in their own right.
With the contribution made by this splendid vessel, the French Line ended the year 1928 with record earnings. For the first time the company's receipts exceeded a billion [[French franc|francs]], and half of this derived from the New York service, which had transported over 90,000 passengers. Her popularity was such that by 1935, the ship had carried more first-class passengers than any other transatlantic liner.

Passengers took to her immediately, especially wealthy Americans. She quickly became the chosen ship of the youthful, the stylish, and the famous. But they did not choose her for her speed, she was roughly as fast as the ''Aquitania'' of 1914-and no larger.

[[File:SS_Ile_de_France_1st_Air_Mail_1928.jpg|thumb|left|Flown cover carried on the first US to Europe "catapult" air mail from the ''Ile de France'' at sea on August 23, 1928]]Even though the ''Ile de France'' could not claim to be the fastest vessel in the world, she had the quickest mail-system between Europe and the United States. In July 1928, a seaplane catapult was installed at the ship's stern for trials with two [[CAMS 37]] flying boats that took off when the ship was within 200 miles, which cut the mail delivery time by one day. This practice proved too costly, however, and in October 1930 the catapult was removed and the service discontinued.

In 1935 the ''Ile de France'' and the ''Paris'' were joined by a new running mate, the brand new superliner ''Normandie''. With these three ships the French Line could boast of having the largest, fastest, and most luxurious ships on the north Atlantic.

In 1936, the ship was equipped with a refrigeration hold which Alfred Schratter used to his advantage. The SS Ile de France was the first to transport the delicate brie cheese to America. With this, Schratter launched [[Ile de France Cheese]] Company. <ref name="test">[http://iledefrancecheese.com/index.php/About-us.php Ile de France About Us]</ref>

But this was not to last and two events shattered the French Line's new found prosperity. The first occurred on April 18, 1939, when the ''Paris'' was destroyed by fire while docked in Le Havre. The second came on September 1, 1939 when [[Nazi Germany]] [[Invasion of Poland (1939)|invaded Poland]] which sparked [[World War II]] and put an end to transatlantic traffic.

== World War II ==
At the war's outbreak, the ''Ile de France'' was berthed at her New York pier. Since the French were not anxious to return the ship to her homeland, she was towed to [[Staten Island]] by ten tugs and was laid up following special dredging that cost $30,000. Her crew of 800 was reduced to a security staff of 100 while she sat inoperative for the next five months. Then during March 1940, under the command of the [[Admiralty|British Admiralty]], to whom she had been loaned, the ship was loaded with 12,000 tons of war materials, submarine oil, tanks, shells, and several uncrated bombers that were stowed on the aft open decks. On 1 May 1941 she departed for Europe, veiled in gray and black. From there, she sailed to [[Singapore]] where, following the [[Battle of France|Fall of France]], she was officially seized by the British.

==Post-war career and demise==
In autumn 1945, the ''Ile de France'' was returned to the French Line after five years of outstanding military service with the British Admiralty. In honor of her wartime performance, [[British Rail]] named one of its locomotives ''Compagnie Générale Transatlantique''.

At first the ''Ile'' was used to ferry American and Canadian troops home. Then in April 1947, she went to her builder's yard at [[Saint Nazaire]] for a two-year restoration. The outcome included the removal of her third "dummy" funnel. The straight black hull had been turned up to meet her upper fore peak, in keeping with the French Line's new look as on the ''Normandie''. These changes resulted in an increased gross tonnage, and now the French vessel could boast a 44,356-tonnage.

She sailed to New York on her first postwar luxury crossing in July 1949. The ''Ile de France'' proved to be just as popular as before the war. She was still the preferred ship for the rich and famous, and in 1950 she was given a worthy running mate; the ''Liberté''. That ship had been the former German Blue Riband-holder {{SS|Europa|1930|6}}, so the French now operated a very distinguished duo.

On July 25, 1956, the ''Ile de France'' played a major role in the rescue operation after the collision of the passenger liners {{SS|Andrea Doria}} and {{MS|Stockholm|1948|6}} off [[Nantucket]]. Of 1,706 passengers and crew on the ''Andrea Doria'', approximately 750 were transferred to the ''Ile de France'' during the (roughly) 6-hour rescue operation.

By 1959, the jet age had started and ocean travel was on a rapid decline. Yet another liner to fall victim to this trend, the French Line wished to quietly dispose of the ship and spare it an undignified fate. The ship was sold to a Japanese scrapping company and departed Le Havre on February 16, 1959.

After being sold to Japanese scrappers, the ''Ile de France'' was used as a floating prop for the 1960 disaster film ''[[The Last Voyage]]'' under the name ''SS Claridon.'' During filming the ship was partially sunk, explosive devices were set off in the interior, and the forward funnel was sent crashing into the deckhouse. The French Line took the filmmakers to court to get an order to have the funnels repainted and bar the use of the name ''Ile de France'' from appearing in the film.

The [[Eaton's Ninth Floor (Montreal)|ninth floor restaurant]] in [[Eaton's]] Department Store, Montreal, Canada was styled after the first class restaurant on board the ship. The store owner's wife had just travelled transatlantic on the liner and when asked what style the new ninth floor restaurant should adopt, she requested in the style of the ''Ile de France''. Visitors could dine at the restaurant and gain an idea of fine dining on the high seas in the heyday of the ocean liner, until the closure of Eaton's.

==See also==
* {{SS|France|1912}}
* {{SS|Paris}}
* {{SS|Normandie}}
* [[SS Europa (1930)|SS ''Liberté'']]
* [[Compagnie Générale Transatlantique]]
* [[Ile de France Cheese]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.greatships.net/iledefrance.html Great Ships: ''Ile de France'']
* [http://www.ocean-liners.com/ships/ile.asp Monsters of the Sea: ''Ile de France'']
* [http://www.greatoceanliners.net/iledefrance.html The Great Ocean Liners: ''Ile de France'']
* [http://classicliners.nicholaswwilson.com/ships/ile-de-france.htm The Classic Liners of Long Ago: ''Ile de France'']

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ile de France}}
[[Category:Ocean liners]]
[[Category:Passenger ships of France]]
[[Category:Art Deco ships]]
[[Category:1926 ships]]

[[de:Île de France (Schiff)]]
[[fr:Île-de-France (paquebot)]]
[[it:Île de France (nave)]]
[[hu:Île-de-France (hajó)]]
[[pl:SS Ile de France]]

SS Île de France

2009-07-16T19:43:07Z

Chefperlman: /* See also */

{{refimprove|date=July 2009}}
{|{{Infobox Ship Begin}}
{{Infobox Ship Image
|Ship image=[[Image:SS Ile de France.jpg|300px]]
|Ship caption=SS ''Ile de France''
}}
{{Infobox Ship Career
|Hide header=
|Ship name= ''Ile de France''
|Ship owner=[[Compagnie Générale Transatlantique]]
|Ship operator=
|Ship registry=[[Image:Civil and Naval Ensign of France.svg|20px|Civil and naval ensign of France]] [[France]]
|Ship route=
|Ship ordered=
|Ship builder=Penhoët, [[Saint Nazaire]], [[France]]
|Ship original cost=
|Ship yard number=
|Ship way number=
|Ship laid down=1925
|Ship launched=14 March 1926
|Ship completed=
|Ship christened=14 March 1926
|Ship acquired=
|Ship maiden voyage=22 June 1927
|Ship in service=
|Ship out of service=
|Ship identification=
|Ship fate=Scrapped in [[Osaka]], [[Japan]], 1959
|Ship status=
|Ship notes=
}}
{{Infobox Ship Characteristics
|Hide header=
|Header caption=
|Ship class=[[Ocean liner]]
|Ship tonnage=* 43,153 gross tons (1927)
* 44,356 gross tons (1949)
|Ship displacement=
|Ship length=791 ft
|Ship beam=91 ft
|Ship height=
|Ship draught=
|Ship draft=
|Ship depth=
|Ship decks=
|Ship deck clearance=
|Ship ramps=
|Ship ice class=
|Ship sail plan=
|Ship power=
|Ship propulsion=
|Ship speed=23.5 knots
|Ship capacity='''1,786 total passengers:'''
* 537 First class
* 603 Second class
* 646 Third class
|Ship crew=
|Ship notes=
}}
|}
The '''SS ''Ile de France''''' was a [[France|French]] [[ocean liner]] built in [[Saint-Nazaire]], [[France]] for the [[Compagnie Générale Transatlantique]]. The ship was the first major [[ocean liner]] built after the conclusion of [[World War I]] and was the first liner ever to be entirely decorated with the [[Art Deco]] designs. She was neither the largest ship nor the fastest ship, but she was considered the most beautifully decorated ship built by the [[Compagnie Générale Transatlantique|French Line]] until the {{SS|Normandie|3=2}}.
==Construction and launch==
The construction of the ''Ile de France'' was part of the agreement between the French Line and the [[French government]] dating back to November, 1912. This agreement called for the construction of four passenger-mail ships, with the first ship called {{SS|Paris|3=2}} and the second, ''Ile de France''. [[World War I]] delayed construction until the 1920s, with the ''Paris'' being launched 1916 and not entering service until 1921 and the ''Ile de France'' in 1927. The ''Ile de France'' was launched on 14 March 1926 at the Penhoët shipyard and was greeted by thousands of proud government and company officials, workers, press, and French citizens. The ship would undergo fourteen months of fitting-out and left the shipyards on 29 May for her [[sea trials]].

==Interior==
In 1926, the French Line released an elaborate gold-covered booklet devoted entirely to the company's new flagship. The illustrations depicted huge, ornate yet modern public rooms, female passengers carrying feather fans and smoking cigarettes, and passengers being led around the uncluttered sun deck. <ref>Great Luxury Liners 1927-1954, A Photographic Record by William H. Miller, Jr.</ref>

Never before had a ship shown its own style in interior design like the ''Ile de France''. In the past, ships had imitated the shore-style. The {{RMS|Mauretania|1906|2}}, the {{RMS|Olympic|3=2}} and the {{SS|Imperator|3=2}} had all shown an interior that celebrated styles of the past and could be found in any manor or château situated on land.

By contrast, the interiors of the ''Ile de France'' represented something new. For the first time, a ship's passenger spaces had been designed not to reproduce decorative styles of the past but to celebrate the style of the present. Her fitting-out followed the famous ''Paris Exposition des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes'' of 1925, which gave the world the term ''Art Deco'' and inspired the ''Ile's'' contemporary style.

The ship's degree of modernity was unlike anything previously seen. The first-class dining room was spectacular, never before had the traveling public seen such a room of massive simplicity yet startling attractiveness. The dining room was also the largest afloat, rose three decks high, and had a grand staircase for an entrance. It was a design based not on some landside theme, but created for this ship itself in complete originality.

In addition to the luxurious dining room, there was also a chapel done up in a neo-gothic style, a grand foyer which rose four decks, a shooting gallery, an elaborate gymnasium, and even a merry-go-round for the younger passengers. Every cabin had beds instead of bunks, and even many of the chairs aboard the ''Ile de France'' were totally new in design. <ref>Designing Liners: A History of Interior Design Afloat by Anne Massey</ref>

As each of the major liner companies subsequently planned their next passenger ships, one of the first steps was to visit this most exquisite, extraordinary and trend-setting French vessel.
{{clear}}
[[Image:Ile10R.jpg|thumb|right|250px|The first-class lounge aboard the ''Ile de France''.]]
==Maiden voyage and early career==
Following her sea trials, the ''Ile de France'' sailed to her home port of [[Le Havre]] on June 5, 1927. In the following week, acclaim and praise would resonate from the thousands of reporters and French citizens who flocked to the pier to glimpse visit the new ship. The novelty of Art Deco aboard a ship was an immediate sensation and the reaction of the visiting press would be echoed in favorable reviews the following week.

On June 22, 1927 the ''Ile de France'' sailed from Le Havre for her maiden voyage to [[New York City|New York]]. Upon her arrival in New York she received great attention from the American media and thousands of people crowded the docks just to catch a glimpse of the new ship.

With accommodation for 1,786 passengers, 537 in first-class, the ''Ile de France'', like her running mates the {{SS|France|1912|2}} and ''Paris'', became all the rage. The international Who's Who of politics, aristocracy, business, theater, cinema, arts, and sports boarded the ship at one time or another. Captain Joseph Blancart and his chief purser, Henri Villar, actually received worldwide celebrity in their own right.
With the contribution made by this splendid vessel, the French Line ended the year 1928 with record earnings. For the first time the company's receipts exceeded a billion [[French franc|francs]], and half of this derived from the New York service, which had transported over 90,000 passengers. Her popularity was such that by 1935, the ship had carried more first-class passengers than any other transatlantic liner.

Passengers took to her immediately, especially wealthy Americans. She quickly became the chosen ship of the youthful, the stylish, and the famous. But they did not choose her for her speed, she was roughly as fast as the ''Aquitania'' of 1914-and no larger.

[[File:SS_Ile_de_France_1st_Air_Mail_1928.jpg|thumb|left|Flown cover carried on the first US to Europe "catapult" air mail from the ''Ile de France'' at sea on August 23, 1928]]Even though the ''Ile de France'' could not claim to be the fastest vessel in the world, she had the quickest mail-system between Europe and the United States. In July 1928, a seaplane catapult was installed at the ship's stern for trials with two [[CAMS 37]] flying boats that took off when the ship was within 200 miles, which cut the mail delivery time by one day. This practice proved too costly, however, and in October 1930 the catapult was removed and the service discontinued.

In 1935 the ''Ile de France'' and the ''Paris'' were joined by a new running mate, the brand new superliner ''Normandie''. With these three ships the French Line could boast of having the largest, fastest, and most luxurious ships on the north Atlantic.

In 1936, the ship was equipped with a refrigeration hold which Alfred Schratter used to his advantage. The SS Ile de France was the first to transport the delicate brie cheese to America. With this, Schratter launched [[Ile de France Cheese]] Company.

But this was not to last and two events shattered the French Line's new found prosperity. The first occurred on April 18, 1939, when the ''Paris'' was destroyed by fire while docked in Le Havre. The second came on September 1, 1939 when [[Nazi Germany]] [[Invasion of Poland (1939)|invaded Poland]] which sparked [[World War II]] and put an end to transatlantic traffic.

== World War II ==
At the war's outbreak, the ''Ile de France'' was berthed at her New York pier. Since the French were not anxious to return the ship to her homeland, she was towed to [[Staten Island]] by ten tugs and was laid up following special dredging that cost $30,000. Her crew of 800 was reduced to a security staff of 100 while she sat inoperative for the next five months. Then during March 1940, under the command of the [[Admiralty|British Admiralty]], to whom she had been loaned, the ship was loaded with 12,000 tons of war materials, submarine oil, tanks, shells, and several uncrated bombers that were stowed on the aft open decks. On 1 May 1941 she departed for Europe, veiled in gray and black. From there, she sailed to [[Singapore]] where, following the [[Battle of France|Fall of France]], she was officially seized by the British.

==Post-war career and demise==
In autumn 1945, the ''Ile de France'' was returned to the French Line after five years of outstanding military service with the British Admiralty. In honor of her wartime performance, [[British Rail]] named one of its locomotives ''Compagnie Générale Transatlantique''.

At first the ''Ile'' was used to ferry American and Canadian troops home. Then in April 1947, she went to her builder's yard at [[Saint Nazaire]] for a two-year restoration. The outcome included the removal of her third "dummy" funnel. The straight black hull had been turned up to meet her upper fore peak, in keeping with the French Line's new look as on the ''Normandie''. These changes resulted in an increased gross tonnage, and now the French vessel could boast a 44,356-tonnage.

She sailed to New York on her first postwar luxury crossing in July 1949. The ''Ile de France'' proved to be just as popular as before the war. She was still the preferred ship for the rich and famous, and in 1950 she was given a worthy running mate; the ''Liberté''. That ship had been the former German Blue Riband-holder {{SS|Europa|1930|6}}, so the French now operated a very distinguished duo.

On July 25, 1956, the ''Ile de France'' played a major role in the rescue operation after the collision of the passenger liners {{SS|Andrea Doria}} and {{MS|Stockholm|1948|6}} off [[Nantucket]]. Of 1,706 passengers and crew on the ''Andrea Doria'', approximately 750 were transferred to the ''Ile de France'' during the (roughly) 6-hour rescue operation.

By 1959, the jet age had started and ocean travel was on a rapid decline. Yet another liner to fall victim to this trend, the French Line wished to quietly dispose of the ship and spare it an undignified fate. The ship was sold to a Japanese scrapping company and departed Le Havre on February 16, 1959.

After being sold to Japanese scrappers, the ''Ile de France'' was used as a floating prop for the 1960 disaster film ''[[The Last Voyage]]'' under the name ''SS Claridon.'' During filming the ship was partially sunk, explosive devices were set off in the interior, and the forward funnel was sent crashing into the deckhouse. The French Line took the filmmakers to court to get an order to have the funnels repainted and bar the use of the name ''Ile de France'' from appearing in the film.

The [[Eaton's Ninth Floor (Montreal)|ninth floor restaurant]] in [[Eaton's]] Department Store, Montreal, Canada was styled after the first class restaurant on board the ship. The store owner's wife had just travelled transatlantic on the liner and when asked what style the new ninth floor restaurant should adopt, she requested in the style of the ''Ile de France''. Visitors could dine at the restaurant and gain an idea of fine dining on the high seas in the heyday of the ocean liner, until the closure of Eaton's.

==See also==
* {{SS|France|1912}}
* {{SS|Paris}}
* {{SS|Normandie}}
* [[SS Europa (1930)|SS ''Liberté'']]
* [[Compagnie Générale Transatlantique]]
* [[Ile de France Cheese]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.greatships.net/iledefrance.html Great Ships: ''Ile de France'']
* [http://www.ocean-liners.com/ships/ile.asp Monsters of the Sea: ''Ile de France'']
* [http://www.greatoceanliners.net/iledefrance.html The Great Ocean Liners: ''Ile de France'']
* [http://classicliners.nicholaswwilson.com/ships/ile-de-france.htm The Classic Liners of Long Ago: ''Ile de France'']

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ile de France}}
[[Category:Ocean liners]]
[[Category:Passenger ships of France]]
[[Category:Art Deco ships]]
[[Category:1926 ships]]

[[de:Île de France (Schiff)]]
[[fr:Île-de-France (paquebot)]]
[[it:Île de France (nave)]]
[[hu:Île-de-France (hajó)]]
[[pl:SS Ile de France]]

SS Île de France

2009-07-16T19:42:32Z

Chefperlman: /* Maiden voyage and early career */

{{refimprove|date=July 2009}}
{|{{Infobox Ship Begin}}
{{Infobox Ship Image
|Ship image=[[Image:SS Ile de France.jpg|300px]]
|Ship caption=SS ''Ile de France''
}}
{{Infobox Ship Career
|Hide header=
|Ship name= ''Ile de France''
|Ship owner=[[Compagnie Générale Transatlantique]]
|Ship operator=
|Ship registry=[[Image:Civil and Naval Ensign of France.svg|20px|Civil and naval ensign of France]] [[France]]
|Ship route=
|Ship ordered=
|Ship builder=Penhoët, [[Saint Nazaire]], [[France]]
|Ship original cost=
|Ship yard number=
|Ship way number=
|Ship laid down=1925
|Ship launched=14 March 1926
|Ship completed=
|Ship christened=14 March 1926
|Ship acquired=
|Ship maiden voyage=22 June 1927
|Ship in service=
|Ship out of service=
|Ship identification=
|Ship fate=Scrapped in [[Osaka]], [[Japan]], 1959
|Ship status=
|Ship notes=
}}
{{Infobox Ship Characteristics
|Hide header=
|Header caption=
|Ship class=[[Ocean liner]]
|Ship tonnage=* 43,153 gross tons (1927)
* 44,356 gross tons (1949)
|Ship displacement=
|Ship length=791 ft
|Ship beam=91 ft
|Ship height=
|Ship draught=
|Ship draft=
|Ship depth=
|Ship decks=
|Ship deck clearance=
|Ship ramps=
|Ship ice class=
|Ship sail plan=
|Ship power=
|Ship propulsion=
|Ship speed=23.5 knots
|Ship capacity='''1,786 total passengers:'''
* 537 First class
* 603 Second class
* 646 Third class
|Ship crew=
|Ship notes=
}}
|}
The '''SS ''Ile de France''''' was a [[France|French]] [[ocean liner]] built in [[Saint-Nazaire]], [[France]] for the [[Compagnie Générale Transatlantique]]. The ship was the first major [[ocean liner]] built after the conclusion of [[World War I]] and was the first liner ever to be entirely decorated with the [[Art Deco]] designs. She was neither the largest ship nor the fastest ship, but she was considered the most beautifully decorated ship built by the [[Compagnie Générale Transatlantique|French Line]] until the {{SS|Normandie|3=2}}.
==Construction and launch==
The construction of the ''Ile de France'' was part of the agreement between the French Line and the [[French government]] dating back to November, 1912. This agreement called for the construction of four passenger-mail ships, with the first ship called {{SS|Paris|3=2}} and the second, ''Ile de France''. [[World War I]] delayed construction until the 1920s, with the ''Paris'' being launched 1916 and not entering service until 1921 and the ''Ile de France'' in 1927. The ''Ile de France'' was launched on 14 March 1926 at the Penhoët shipyard and was greeted by thousands of proud government and company officials, workers, press, and French citizens. The ship would undergo fourteen months of fitting-out and left the shipyards on 29 May for her [[sea trials]].

==Interior==
In 1926, the French Line released an elaborate gold-covered booklet devoted entirely to the company's new flagship. The illustrations depicted huge, ornate yet modern public rooms, female passengers carrying feather fans and smoking cigarettes, and passengers being led around the uncluttered sun deck. <ref>Great Luxury Liners 1927-1954, A Photographic Record by William H. Miller, Jr.</ref>

Never before had a ship shown its own style in interior design like the ''Ile de France''. In the past, ships had imitated the shore-style. The {{RMS|Mauretania|1906|2}}, the {{RMS|Olympic|3=2}} and the {{SS|Imperator|3=2}} had all shown an interior that celebrated styles of the past and could be found in any manor or château situated on land.

By contrast, the interiors of the ''Ile de France'' represented something new. For the first time, a ship's passenger spaces had been designed not to reproduce decorative styles of the past but to celebrate the style of the present. Her fitting-out followed the famous ''Paris Exposition des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes'' of 1925, which gave the world the term ''Art Deco'' and inspired the ''Ile's'' contemporary style.

The ship's degree of modernity was unlike anything previously seen. The first-class dining room was spectacular, never before had the traveling public seen such a room of massive simplicity yet startling attractiveness. The dining room was also the largest afloat, rose three decks high, and had a grand staircase for an entrance. It was a design based not on some landside theme, but created for this ship itself in complete originality.

In addition to the luxurious dining room, there was also a chapel done up in a neo-gothic style, a grand foyer which rose four decks, a shooting gallery, an elaborate gymnasium, and even a merry-go-round for the younger passengers. Every cabin had beds instead of bunks, and even many of the chairs aboard the ''Ile de France'' were totally new in design. <ref>Designing Liners: A History of Interior Design Afloat by Anne Massey</ref>

As each of the major liner companies subsequently planned their next passenger ships, one of the first steps was to visit this most exquisite, extraordinary and trend-setting French vessel.
{{clear}}
[[Image:Ile10R.jpg|thumb|right|250px|The first-class lounge aboard the ''Ile de France''.]]
==Maiden voyage and early career==
Following her sea trials, the ''Ile de France'' sailed to her home port of [[Le Havre]] on June 5, 1927. In the following week, acclaim and praise would resonate from the thousands of reporters and French citizens who flocked to the pier to glimpse visit the new ship. The novelty of Art Deco aboard a ship was an immediate sensation and the reaction of the visiting press would be echoed in favorable reviews the following week.

On June 22, 1927 the ''Ile de France'' sailed from Le Havre for her maiden voyage to [[New York City|New York]]. Upon her arrival in New York she received great attention from the American media and thousands of people crowded the docks just to catch a glimpse of the new ship.

With accommodation for 1,786 passengers, 537 in first-class, the ''Ile de France'', like her running mates the {{SS|France|1912|2}} and ''Paris'', became all the rage. The international Who's Who of politics, aristocracy, business, theater, cinema, arts, and sports boarded the ship at one time or another. Captain Joseph Blancart and his chief purser, Henri Villar, actually received worldwide celebrity in their own right.
With the contribution made by this splendid vessel, the French Line ended the year 1928 with record earnings. For the first time the company's receipts exceeded a billion [[French franc|francs]], and half of this derived from the New York service, which had transported over 90,000 passengers. Her popularity was such that by 1935, the ship had carried more first-class passengers than any other transatlantic liner.

Passengers took to her immediately, especially wealthy Americans. She quickly became the chosen ship of the youthful, the stylish, and the famous. But they did not choose her for her speed, she was roughly as fast as the ''Aquitania'' of 1914-and no larger.

[[File:SS_Ile_de_France_1st_Air_Mail_1928.jpg|thumb|left|Flown cover carried on the first US to Europe "catapult" air mail from the ''Ile de France'' at sea on August 23, 1928]]Even though the ''Ile de France'' could not claim to be the fastest vessel in the world, she had the quickest mail-system between Europe and the United States. In July 1928, a seaplane catapult was installed at the ship's stern for trials with two [[CAMS 37]] flying boats that took off when the ship was within 200 miles, which cut the mail delivery time by one day. This practice proved too costly, however, and in October 1930 the catapult was removed and the service discontinued.

In 1935 the ''Ile de France'' and the ''Paris'' were joined by a new running mate, the brand new superliner ''Normandie''. With these three ships the French Line could boast of having the largest, fastest, and most luxurious ships on the north Atlantic.

In 1936, the ship was equipped with a refrigeration hold which Alfred Schratter used to his advantage. The SS Ile de France was the first to transport the delicate brie cheese to America. With this, Schratter launched [[Ile de France Cheese]] Company.

But this was not to last and two events shattered the French Line's new found prosperity. The first occurred on April 18, 1939, when the ''Paris'' was destroyed by fire while docked in Le Havre. The second came on September 1, 1939 when [[Nazi Germany]] [[Invasion of Poland (1939)|invaded Poland]] which sparked [[World War II]] and put an end to transatlantic traffic.

== World War II ==
At the war's outbreak, the ''Ile de France'' was berthed at her New York pier. Since the French were not anxious to return the ship to her homeland, she was towed to [[Staten Island]] by ten tugs and was laid up following special dredging that cost $30,000. Her crew of 800 was reduced to a security staff of 100 while she sat inoperative for the next five months. Then during March 1940, under the command of the [[Admiralty|British Admiralty]], to whom she had been loaned, the ship was loaded with 12,000 tons of war materials, submarine oil, tanks, shells, and several uncrated bombers that were stowed on the aft open decks. On 1 May 1941 she departed for Europe, veiled in gray and black. From there, she sailed to [[Singapore]] where, following the [[Battle of France|Fall of France]], she was officially seized by the British.

==Post-war career and demise==
In autumn 1945, the ''Ile de France'' was returned to the French Line after five years of outstanding military service with the British Admiralty. In honor of her wartime performance, [[British Rail]] named one of its locomotives ''Compagnie Générale Transatlantique''.

At first the ''Ile'' was used to ferry American and Canadian troops home. Then in April 1947, she went to her builder's yard at [[Saint Nazaire]] for a two-year restoration. The outcome included the removal of her third "dummy" funnel. The straight black hull had been turned up to meet her upper fore peak, in keeping with the French Line's new look as on the ''Normandie''. These changes resulted in an increased gross tonnage, and now the French vessel could boast a 44,356-tonnage.

She sailed to New York on her first postwar luxury crossing in July 1949. The ''Ile de France'' proved to be just as popular as before the war. She was still the preferred ship for the rich and famous, and in 1950 she was given a worthy running mate; the ''Liberté''. That ship had been the former German Blue Riband-holder {{SS|Europa|1930|6}}, so the French now operated a very distinguished duo.

On July 25, 1956, the ''Ile de France'' played a major role in the rescue operation after the collision of the passenger liners {{SS|Andrea Doria}} and {{MS|Stockholm|1948|6}} off [[Nantucket]]. Of 1,706 passengers and crew on the ''Andrea Doria'', approximately 750 were transferred to the ''Ile de France'' during the (roughly) 6-hour rescue operation.

By 1959, the jet age had started and ocean travel was on a rapid decline. Yet another liner to fall victim to this trend, the French Line wished to quietly dispose of the ship and spare it an undignified fate. The ship was sold to a Japanese scrapping company and departed Le Havre on February 16, 1959.

After being sold to Japanese scrappers, the ''Ile de France'' was used as a floating prop for the 1960 disaster film ''[[The Last Voyage]]'' under the name ''SS Claridon.'' During filming the ship was partially sunk, explosive devices were set off in the interior, and the forward funnel was sent crashing into the deckhouse. The French Line took the filmmakers to court to get an order to have the funnels repainted and bar the use of the name ''Ile de France'' from appearing in the film.

The [[Eaton's Ninth Floor (Montreal)|ninth floor restaurant]] in [[Eaton's]] Department Store, Montreal, Canada was styled after the first class restaurant on board the ship. The store owner's wife had just travelled transatlantic on the liner and when asked what style the new ninth floor restaurant should adopt, she requested in the style of the ''Ile de France''. Visitors could dine at the restaurant and gain an idea of fine dining on the high seas in the heyday of the ocean liner, until the closure of Eaton's.

==See also==
* {{SS|France|1912}}
* {{SS|Paris}}
* {{SS|Normandie}}
* [[SS Europa (1930)|SS ''Liberté'']]
* [[Compagnie Générale Transatlantique]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.greatships.net/iledefrance.html Great Ships: ''Ile de France'']
* [http://www.ocean-liners.com/ships/ile.asp Monsters of the Sea: ''Ile de France'']
* [http://www.greatoceanliners.net/iledefrance.html The Great Ocean Liners: ''Ile de France'']
* [http://classicliners.nicholaswwilson.com/ships/ile-de-france.htm The Classic Liners of Long Ago: ''Ile de France'']

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ile de France}}
[[Category:Ocean liners]]
[[Category:Passenger ships of France]]
[[Category:Art Deco ships]]
[[Category:1926 ships]]

[[de:Île de France (Schiff)]]
[[fr:Île-de-France (paquebot)]]
[[it:Île de France (nave)]]
[[hu:Île-de-France (hajó)]]
[[pl:SS Ile de France]]

List of French cheeses

2009-07-16T19:26:15Z

Chefperlman: /* See also */

{{mergefrom|List of Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée cheeses|Talk:List of French cheeses#Merger proposal|date=May 2009}}

The following is a '''[[list of cheeses]] from [[France]]'''. France is home to a very large variety of cheese types. This number was traditionally from 350 to 400 but is currently over 1,000 <ref>Cidilait, Elevage et marché[http://www.cidilait.com/index.php?id=1152&i=2&j=3#7877]</ref>.

[[Image:200501 - 6 fromages.JPG|thumb|right|Some French cheeses]]
[[Image:SheepsCheeseVillefrancheDeRourgue.jpg|thumb|right|Cheese seller in France]]
==Protected Designation of Origin ==
Under the [[Common Agricultural Policy]] of the [[European Union]], certain well-established cheeses, including many French cheeses, are covered by a [[Protected Designation of Origin]] and other, less stringent designations of geographical origin for traditional specialities (for further details see the [[France|French]] ''[[Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée]]'' (AOC) system, the ''[[Denominazione di Origine Controllata]]'' (DOC) system used in [[Italy]], and the ''[[Denominación de origen]]'' system used in [[Spain]]).

A complete list of agricultural products with an EU Protected Designation of Origin (PDO), Protected Geographical Indication (PGI), or Traditional Speciality Guaranteed (TSG), listed alphabetically by nation, is at the [http://europa.eu.int/comm/agriculture/qual/en/1bbab_en.htm Europa Agriculture site].

French cheese production is classified under 4 categories, and PDO/AOC rules dictate which category(ies) each protected cheese may be assigned to<ref name="DK-FrenchCheese">{{cite book |last= Masui |first= T. |coauthors= Tomoko, Y., Hodgson, R., Robuchon, J. |title= French Cheeses |publisher= [[Dorling Kindersley|DK]] |year= 2004 |isbn= 1-4053-0666-1 }}</ref>:

* '''Fermier''': A farmhouse cheese, which is produced on the farm where the milk is produced.
* '''Artisanal''': A producer producing cheese in relatively small quantities using milk from their own farm, but may also purchase some of their milk from local farms.
* '''Coopérative''': A dairy with local milk producers in an area that have joined together to produce the cheese. In larger ''coopératives'' quantities of cheese produced may be relatively large, akin to some ''industriel'' producers (many may be classed as factory-made<ref name="CheesesWorld">{{cite book |last= Barthélemy |first= Roland |coauthors= Sperat-Czar, Arnaud |title= Cheeses of the world |publisher= [[Hachette Livre|Hachette Illustrated]] (London) |year= 2004 |isbn= 184430115X }}</ref>).
*'''Industriel''': A factory-made cheese from milk sourced locally/regionally (and perhaps) all over france (depending on what the AOC/PDO regulations state for that particular cheese).

==List of protected French cheeses==
[[Image:Principales AOC France.jpg|thumb|300px|A map of major AOC cheeses; the size of the cheese symbol equates to the size of production]]
There are 56 cheeses which are classified, protected, and regulated under French law. The majority of these are classified as ''Appellation d'origine contrôlée'' (AOC), the highest level of protection. Some cheeses are also protected under the less stringent but still legally regulated designation Label Régional (LR). In addition, a few French cheeses are protected under the European Union's Protected Geographic Indication designation (PGI). Many familiar generic types, like [[Boursin cheese|Boursin]], are not covered. It may come as a surprise to see varieties of [[Emmental cheese]] protected as a '''''French''''' cheese. This list differs from those of [[Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée|AOC]] status.

{| class="sortable wikitable"
!Cheese 
!Year designated AOC 
!Producing region 
!Type of milk 
!Designation 
|-
|[[Abondance (cheese)|Abondance]]
|1990
|[[Savoie]]
|[[Cow]]
|AOC
|-
|[[Banon]]
|2003
|[[Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur]]
|[[Goat]]
|AOC
|-
|[[Beaufort (cheese)|Beaufort]]
|1968
|[[Savoie]]
|[[Cow]]
|AOC
|-
|[[Bleu d'Auvergne]]
|1975
|[[Auvergne (region)|Auvergne]]
|[[Cow]]
|AOC
|-
|[[Bleu des Causses]]
|1979
|[[Midi-Pyrénées]]
|[[Cow]]
|AOC
|-
|[[Bleu de Gex]], du Haut-Jura, or de Septmoncel
|1977
|[[Franche-Comté]]
|[[Cow]]
|AOC
|-
|[[Bleu du Vercors]]
|1998
|[[Rhône-Alpes]]
|[[Cow]]
|AOC
|-
|[[Brie de Meaux]]
|1980
|[[Ile-de-France]]
|[[Cow]]
|AOC
|-
|[[Brie (cheese)|Brie de Melun]]
|1990
|[[Ile-de-France]]
|[[Cow]]
|AOC
|-
|[[Brocciu]] Corse or Brocciu
|1983
|[[Corsica]]
|[[Sheep]]
|AOC
|-
|[[Cabecou]]
|1988
|[[Midi-Pyrénées]]
|[[Goat]]
|AOC
|-
|[[Cancoillotte]]
|n/a
|[[Franche-Comté]]
|[[Cow]]
|LR
|-
|[[Cantal (cheese)|Cantal]], Fourme de Cantal, or Cantalet
|1956
|[[Auvergne (region)|Auvergne]]
|[[Cow]]
|AOC
|-
|[[Camembert (cheese)|Camembert de Normandie]]
|1983
|[[Normandy]]
|[[Cow]]
|AOC
|-
|[[Chabichou du Poitou]]
|1990
|[[Poitou-Charentes]]
|[[Goat]]
|AOC
|-
|[[Chaource (cheese)|Chaource]]
|1970
|[[Champagne-Ardenne]]
|[[Cow]]
|AOC
|-
|[[Chevrotin (cheese)|Chevrotin]]
|2002
|[[Savoie]]
|[[Goat]]
|AOC
|-
|[[Comté (cheese)|Comté]]
|1952
|[[Franche-Comté]]
|[[Cow]]
|AOC
|-
|[[Crottin de Chavignol]]
|1976
|[[Centre (region)]]
|[[Goat]]
|AOC
|-
|[[Emmental de Savoie]]
|n/a
|[[Savoie]]
|[[Cow]]
|PGI
|-
|[[Emmental français est-central]]
|n/a
|[[Franche-Comté]]
|[[Cow]]
|PGI
|-
|[[Époisses de Bourgogne (cheese)|Époisses de Bourgogne]]
|2004
|[[Bourgogne]]
|[[Cow]]
|AOC
|-
|[[Fourme d'Ambert]]
|1972
|[[Auvergne (region)|Auvergne]]
|[[Cow]]
|AOC
|-
|[[Fourme de Montbrison]]
|1972
|[[Auvergne (region)|Auvergne]]
|[[Cow]]
|AOC
|-
|[[Laguiole (cheese)|Laguiole]]
|1961
|[[Auvergne (region)|Auvergne]]
|[[Cow]]
|AOC
|-
|[[Langres (cheese)|Langres]]
|1991
|[[Champagne-Ardenne]]
|[[Cow]]
|AOC
|-
|[[Livarot (cheese)|Livarot]]
|1972
|[[Normandy]]
|[[Cow]]
|AOC
|-
|[[Macônnais]]
|2006
|[[Bourgogne]]
|[[Goat]]
|AOC
|-
|[[Maroilles (cheese)|Maroilles]] or Marolles
|1976
|[[Nord-Pas-de-Calais]]
|[[Cow]]
|AOC
|-
|[[Mimolette]]
|n/a
|[[Nord-Pas-de-Calais]]
|[[Cow]]
|LR
|-
|[[Mont d'or (cheese)|Mont d'or]] or Vacherin du Haut-Doubs
|2006
|[[Franche-Comté]]
|[[Cow]]
|AOC
|-
|[[Morbier (cheese)|Morbier]]
|2000
|[[Franche-Comté]]
|[[Cow]]
|AOC
|-
|[[Munster (cheese)|Munster]] or Munster-Géromé
|1969
|[[Lorraine (region)]]
|[[Cow]]
|AOC
|-
|[[Neufchâtel (cheese)|Neufchâtel]]
|1969
|[[Normandy]]
|[[Cow]]
|AOC
|-
|[[Ossau-lraty]]
|1980
|[[Aquitaine]]
|[[Sheep]]
|AOC
|-
|[[Pélardon]]
|2000
|[[Languedoc-Roussillon]]
|[[Goat]]
|AOC
|-
|[[Picodon de l'Ardèche]] or de la Drôme
|1983
|[[Rhône-Alpes]]
|[[Goat]]
|AOC
|-
|[[Pont-l'Évêque (cheese)|Pont-l'Évêque]]
|1976
|[[Normandy]]
|[[Cow]]
|AOC
|-
|[[Pouligny-Saint-Pierre (cheese)|Pouligny-Saint-Pierre]]
|1972
|[[Centre (region)]]
|[[Goat]]
|AOC
|-
|[[Reblochon]] or Reblochon de Savoie
|1958
|[[Savoie]]
|[[Cow]]
|AOC
|-
|[[Rocamadour (cheese)|Rocamadour]]
|1996
|[[Midi-Pyrénées]]
|[[Goat]]
|AOC
|-
|[[Roquefort (cheese)|Roquefort]]
|1925
|[[Midi-Pyrénées]]
|[[Sheep]]
|AOC
|-
|[[Sainte-Maure de Touraine]]
|1990
|[[Centre (region)]]
|[[Goat]]
|AOC
|-
|[[Saint-Nectaire]]
|1955
|[[Auvergne (region)|Auvergne]]
|[[Cow]]
|AOC
|-
|[[Saint-Félicien]]
|n/a
|[[Rhône-Alpes]]
|[[Cow]]
|LR
|-
|[[Salers (cheese)|Salers]]
|1979
|[[Auvergne (region)|Auvergne]]
|[[Cow]]
|AOC
|-
|[[Selles-sur-Cher (cheese)|Selles-sur-Cher]]
|1975
|[[Centre (region)]]
|[[Goat]]
|AOC
|-
|[[Tome des Bauges]]
|2002
|[[Savoie]]
|[[Cow]]
|AOC
|-
|[[Tomme de Savoie]]
|n/a
|[[Savoie]]
|[[Cow]]
|PGI
|-
|[[Tomme des Pyrenees|Tomme des Pyrénées]]
|n/a
|[[Midi-Pyrénées]]
|[[Cow]]
|PGI
|-
|[[Valençay (cheese)|Valençay]]
|1998
|[[Centre (region)]]
|[[Goat]]
|AOC
|}

==Other French cheeses==
* [[Abbaye de Belloc]]
* [[Bleu de Bresse]]
* [[Boursin cheese]]
* [[Brillat-Savarin cheese|Brillat-Savarin]]
* [[Brie (cheese)|Brie]] Noir (Black Brie)
* [[Broccio Passu]]
* [[Bucheron]]
* [[Cabecou]]
* [[Cancoillotte]]
* [[Carré de l'Est]]
* [[Chamois d'Or]]
* [[Chaumes cheese]]
* [[Neufchâtel (cheese)|Coeur de Neufchatel]]
* [[Coulommiers (Cheese)|Coulommiers]]
* [[Delice Du Calvados]]
* [[Édel de Cléron]]
* [[Explorateur]]
* [[Fromager d'Affinois]]
* [[Gaperon]]
* [[Lavort]]
* [[Mont des Cats]]
* [[Mimolette]]
* [[Niolo]]
* [[Olivet cendré]]
* [[Port Salut cheese|Port Salut]]
* [[Raclette]]
* [[Rigotte de Condrieu]]
* [[Rochebarron]]
* [[Roue de Brie]]love
* [[Saint Albray]]
* [[Saint-André cheese|Saint-André]]
* [[Saint-Félicien]]
* [[Saint-Marcellin]]
* [[Saint-Paulin (cheese)|Saint-Paulin]]
* [[Tarentais]]
* [[Tome des Bauges]]
* [[Tomme Boudane]]
* [[Tomme au Fenouil]]
* [[Tomme du Revard]]
* [[Vacherin (cheese)|Vacherin Mont d'Or]]
* [[Vieux-Boulogne]]
* [[Tomme Butone]]

==See also==
* [[List of cheeses]]
* [[List of Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée cheeses]]
*[[Ile de France Cheese]]

==External links==
* {{en icon}} [http://joinusinfrance.net/html/cheeses.html Comprehensive Information on French Cheeses]
* [http://tout1fromage.canalblog.com/albums/les_fromages/index.html Pictures Gallery of French Cheese (and some else)]

==Quotes==

:"A country producing almost 360 different types of cheese cannot die."
::[[Winston Churchill]] in june 1940

:"Comment voulez-vous gouverner un pays qui a deux cent quarante-six variétés de fromage?"
:("How can you govern a country which has two hundred and forty-six varieties of cheese?")
::[[Charles de Gaulle]] (from ''Les Mots du Général'', Ernest Mignon (1962))

:"Un repas sans fromage est une belle à qui il manque un œil."
:("A meal without cheese is a beautiful woman with an eye missing.")
::[[Brillat-Savarin]] (from ''La Physiologie du goût'')

==Notes==
{{Reflist}}

{{br}}
{{French cheeses}}

[[Category:French cheeses| ]]
[[Category:Lists of foods|French cheese]]

[[ca:Llista de formatges francesos]]
[[es:Quesos de Francia]]
[[fr:Liste de fromages français]]
[[la:Casei Francici]]
[[nl:Lijst van Franse kazen]]
[[sv:Lista över franska ostar]]