- Where can I buy Marin French Cheese?
- You can buy our cheese online, or at any of our retail locations.
- Is Marin French Cheese Co. cheeses made with pasteurized milk?
- All milk is pasteurized prior to making all Rouge et Noir cheeses.
- Does Marin French use hormone free milk?
- All milk used by Marin French is Hormone, rBST free Jersey cow’s milk that is extra rich.
Rouge et Noir cheeses are Animal Rennet FREE. We use microbial enzymes and are cheeses are approved for Vegetarians.
- How long has Marin French Cheese Co. been making cheese?
- Marin French Cheese Co. is now 142 years old. We are the oldest cheese producer in the United States specializing in soft ripened cheeses. Breakfast cheese was first produced in 1865 for the San Francisco dockworkers when President Lincoln was in office and San Francisco was known as Yerba Buena.
- What is the definition of an Artisan Cheese Maker?
- An Artisan Cheese Maker produces all cheese by hand in small batches. Marin French Cheeses are 100% hand made.
- Why does Marin French Cheese Co. have three names?
- Marin French Cheese Co. is the corporation; Rouge et Noir refers to the brand and the Cheese Factory is the facility where we make cheese and offer our pristine picnic grounds.
- What is the difference between Brie and Camembert?
- Honest Brie is made with a Candidum culture and honest Camembert an authentic Camembert culture. Rouge et Noir uses Candidum cultures for the Brie and authentic Old World European cultures for our Camembert.
- Typical Brie tends to be mild, slightly herbaceous and a bit grassy. A very high quality French Brie such as Brie de Meaux or Coulommiers tend to be similar to Camembert but not as nutty and rich.
- Camembert is fuller in flavor than Brie. The typical characteristics are described as soft, creamy to buttery in texture, with a “nutty” tanginess. A good Camembert will have an earthy taste and mushroom smell.
- Camembert was first produced in 1789 by Marie Harel in Camembert, Normandy. It is not protected by AOC because it did not receive AOC status until 1983. By this time Camembert had been made universally throughout the world with various types of milk. The AOC does apply to Camembert made in Normandy. These are labeled “Camembert de Normandie”.
Taste the difference…sample our Rouge et Noir Brie & then try our Camembert. They actually taste different…because THEY ARE DIFFERENT.
- How many different cheeses does Marin French Cheese make?
- Marin French Cheese Co. produces over 35 different soft ripened cheeses.
- Does Marin French Cheese Co. make Cheddars, Jack or other cheeses.
- arin French Cheese Co. produces only Soft Ripened Cheeses such as Brie, Camembert, Schloss, and various forms of Soft Ripened Goat’s milk cheeses.
- Has the Rouge et Noir brand ever entered cheese competitions?
- Rouge et Noir Cheeses have won many awards for quality and character locally, nationally and internationally. Please refer to Awards List publication.
- Why are Rouge et Noir Cheeses slightly yellow in color?
- Rouge et Noir Camembert has a slight yellow color from the Jersey cow milk and Authentic Camembert Cultures. The other cheeses are also slightly yellow but not as much.
- Can you eat the rind of your cheeses?
- Yes the rind on our cheeses is edible. Marin French Cheese outer rind tends to be creamy and slightly sweet.
- Is Marin French Cheese Co. a Farmstead producer?
- Marin French Cheese owns a heard of goats but they are cared for at a neighboring goat dairy. All of the cows milk comes from neighboring dairies.
- Does Marin French Cheese use any stabilizers.
- No, Our cheese is 100% natural.
