cheese plate
Of course, there’s no cheese police monitoring how one cuts cheese in France, but there IS a proper way to cut the various shapes of cheese – are you in the etiquette know?!
Cheese is usually served on a platter with knives designated for each type. Choices (3 or 5 types) should include hard, soft, and blue varieties ranging from mild to strong flavors.
- Round cheese, like a small, whole Camembert should be already started with a small wedge cut and removed from the circle, so it’s cut like a pie.
- A square or rectangular brick of cheese, such as blue, should have a rectangle cut off the end.
- With a wedge/triangular-shaped cheese, such as Brie, simply slice a sliver off along the side of the wedge – NEVER cut the tip off a wedge of triangular cheese.
Remove the cheese from the platter to your plate by gently stabbing with the knife to pick up your piece.
If in doubt, just remember – the original shape of the cheese should be maintained. Voila & bon appetit!
24/7 in FRANCE 
Very interesting posting. Excellent observation about leaving the cheese in the same basic shape. Thanks to you I will never again fret about how I cut my cheese in public. (This being said, I have been to some pretty elegant dinners in my day, but have NEVER seen anyone offer a different knife for each cheese!)
Happy to alleviate your cheese-cutting fretting 🙂 A lot of French people don’t know cheese etiquette, but I’m surprised to hear about not having different knives to keep the flavors separate!
very useful tip!
Merci Chika!