The French cuisine offers hundreds of selected cheeses to choose from and it might seem impossible to choose the right cheese. Try these simple steps to weed out the selection.
Before you start choosing cheeses, ask yourself what kind of taste buds you have. Do you prefer strong or light cheeses? Do you prefer saltier or sweeter cheeses? This will eliminate a lot of choices before you even venture into buying French cheese.
Step2
The first way cheeses are divided is by which milk it is processed with. Generally they are divided by cow and ewe's milk, the more conventional cow and unpasteurized milk, goat's milk, ewe and goat's milk, and ewe's milk. The strongest and perhaps more " acquired" taste fall in the goat's milk category. Taste this type first before you decide on purchasing these cheeses.
Step3
Cheeses are also separated by regions, and each region has "specialty " cheeses with particular tastes and types. If you pick a cheese in the Savoie region for example, it will generally have a nuttier and more robust taste. The name will also show in the label, like " tomme de savoie."
Step4
The next way to distinguish cheeses is by appearence. Generally there are mouldy cheeses such as blue cheeses, pressed cheeses, pressed uncooked cheeses, fresh cheeses, soft bloomy rind cheeses and soft washed rind cheeses. Don't be fooled by appearance however, as some cheeses that appear weaker cheeses are sometimes the strongest.
Step5
The best way to develop you palate and favorite cheeses is to try different cheeses in each category. Eventually you shall find the cheeses that best suits your tastes. Bear in mind, you can never stop discovering French cheeses.
Tips & Warnings
Do not mix too many cheeses at once as it will ruin you palate
Make sure you are not lactose intolerant before you embark on this tasting adventure.
Novice 
