France has ~1,200 named cheeses and 47 AOP/AOC protected ones. Most travelers see the same 6 in every supermarket: camembert, brie, comté, roquefort, chèvre, bleu. There's a whole country of cheese beyond that.
Cheese is course, region, and pairing — not just "a nice cheese plate." A cheese course served wrong (before the salad) is a faux pas. A cheese course served without the right wine is incomplete. A "Camembert de Normandie" is not the same as "Camembert fumé" — and only one is AOP.
The other thing most visitors miss: there are 47 AOP fromages. Supermarkets carry 6–8. Going to a fromagerie (cheese shop) reveals a totally different world.
A specific AOP/AOC cheese with origin, milk type, intensity, and the right context to eat it.
Service temperature, bread pairing, wine pairing, and the exact moment in the meal.
Where to find it (every fromagerie in region X), how to spot authentic vs industrial, and the price tier.
Salad, THEN cheese (the French way). The acidic dressing cuts the fat, and the cheese follows to round out the meal. Foreigners often flip this.
Soft cheeses (Camembert, Brie) often blocked by US/Canada/Australia customs (animal-product restrictions). Hard cheeses (Comté, Beaufort, Parm-style) usually allowed. Vaccuum-sealed cuts survive 1–2 weeks.
3 cheeses: a goat (chèvre), a cow (Comté or Camembert), and a sheep or blue. Eat in order: fresh → aged → blue. Bread (baguette tradition). Butter optional. No crackers; this isn't England.