There is a wide variety of cheeses. This is due to the different cultural practices of the people who make them. But it can also be explained by the many different types of milk there are (cow's, ewe's, goat’s, buffalo’s - there are lots of dairy breeds). Finally, the production technology used, and whether the milk is raw or pasteurised, means that there is a variety of around ten families. Between authentic cheeses with a strong character which are enjoyed every day, to fondue or spreadable cheese, there are many ways to navigate through this vast family.

Cheese has played an important role in commercial transactions, the payment of taxes to lords and farm rent. With Pasteur's discovery of fermentation microorganisms, the emergence of industrial refrigeration and finally, the development of transport, the art of cheesemaking experienced considerable growth from the 19th century.

Cheese is essential from a nutritional perspective: it is a source of energy (45-450 kcal/100g cheese), proteins and minerals (including calcium and phosphorus, particularly for cooked pressed cheeses). To varying degrees, it is also high in vitamins A, D and B (present in the mould of veined cheeses and the soft centres of cheeses with bloomy rinds).