Musée Vivant du Fromage: France’s First Living Cheese Museum

Who knew to be on the lookout for peau de crapaud (toad skin) on cheese, the rumpled rind being a sign of runny cheese? Or poil de chat (cat’s hair), which is fuzzy mold on soft cheeses? Poil de chat is actually a good thing when the cheese maker pats down the mold until it becomes part of the tasty rind. 

Cheese terms, both for making and tasting cheese, are one of the many topics to learn at the new Musée Vivant du Fromage, a living cheese museum, that is scheduled to open on June 3 on the Île Saint Louis in Paris. It will be an educational and interactive place to discover France’s cheesemaking heritage and learn from actual producers of some of the 1,200 varieties of cheese in France.

“I wanted to create a museum about living cheeses,” said Pierre Brisson, Founder and CEO of Paroles de Fromagers, Ltd the cheese school that administers the Musée Vivant du Fromage. “Visitors will be able to see live cheeses, learn about how to produce them from working experts and taste the flavor differences in each cheese’s life. Cheese is not dead.”

Brisson’s vision for the living cheese museum will not only be an interactive museum to discover French cheeses and their regions but also educational. The museum will offer cheese courses and workshops. There will also be a laiterie, or dairy, where visitors can see cheese being made and learn some of the creation processes. A traditional creamery and cheese shop will feature souvenirs. 

 

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Growing up on his family’s farm and winery, Brisson fell in love with cheeses as a six-year-old. He would go to the local cheese shop and examine the variety of cheeses through the glass counter. Back home, the family would share the selection of cheeses with friends while pairing with drinks. 

“I took a big pleasure in sharing and I enjoy seeing people starting to like cheese the way I like it,” said Brisson. 

That inspiration of his youth drew him to open the Paroles de Fromagers l’Ecole du Fromage (cheese schools) in Paris. Cheese schools in France tend to be located in the French countryside and Brisson wanted to bring a cheese school to Paris to attract a wider range of students that would choose fromagerie as a career. From that came the inspiration of the cheese museum.

“I want to make people love the product by knowing how to make cheese and a cheese maker’s way of thinking. Behind every cheese is know-how. We don’t invent, we repeat what we know. I feel I have a responsibility to pass on the tradition and perhaps have visitors think about changing their life and becoming a cheesemaker. That is the object of the museum.”

Visitors will enter the museum into a boutique selling cheese, wine, beer, honey, jams and serving products as the introduction to cheese. A fromager will be available to discuss each cheese and its merits. There will also be a dégustation area where cheese can be tasted and a fromager explains the making of each cheese and the best food and drink pairings.

The museum exposition rooms will feature videos on the ancient history and culture of cheese making (monks developed a lot of the history and knowledge) along with pictures of the cows and goats involved. There will be traditional cheesemaking tools along with cowbells to see and hear. France has many cheese regions and an interactive map will identify each specific territory that dictates where cheeses can be produced based on climate, the animals raised in the area and history of the cheese.

 

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The laiterie section is where cheese will be made daily. “We want to make cheese in front of people, so they can see the cheesemaking art, ask questions and see the making of cheese,” said Brisson. “This is the vivant of the museum. To inspire visitors to learn about the beautiful region of a cheese they like, so they want to discover the region and its cheesemakers.” 

The museum will also offer cheesemaking tours for groups, classes on cheese making and provide a place for private meetings or parties. 

The museum location on Île Saint Louis is a stone building from the 1600s. Construction is currently being done on the site to have it ready for the June 3 opening. All the walls are classic cream-colored stone with many arches supporting the building. The upper floor is being developed into several rooms for the museum, the laiterie, boutique and tasting areas. Below in the cellar with vaulted ceilings is the location for workshops and cheesemaking classes along with a special events room. 

The Musée Vivant du Fromage is the first cheese museum featuring all types of French cheeses in France. Brisson wants visitors to use the museum as a “moment to learn” about French cheese from cheese experts who want to teach and not sell cheese. The focus is on the traditions, science and know-how of cheesemaking, the diversity of an extensive cheese collection and gourmand cheese tasting. 

 

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“Cheese tasting is an art similar to wine tasting,” said Brisson. “There is the sensation on the tongue, the texture when chewing and the flavors … of cauliflower, broccoli, chocolate, citrus, even leather. Don’t be afraid of trying. This is a moment to learn.”

In the cellar area is a vertical space near the ceiling about the size of a wine box. This is where the statue of Saint Lucio Uguzon, the patron saint of cheesemakers, will be placed. Saint Uguzon is known for making cheese in abundance and sharing it with those who are hungry. 

“I put my heart into this project which is all made to transmit a passion for cheese,” said Brisson. “We want to keep the traditional ways and keep cheese to be a beautiful thing for people.”

The Musée Vivant du Fromage is located at 39 rue Saint-Louis en l’Île on the île Saint Louis. If you want to help support the museum, donations can be made here.