Fresh cheeses should be soft and moist with a fresh milky scent. They should have a delicate flavor with no bitterness.

There is a wide selection

• smooth or curd
• with or without fresh cream
• sweetened or not
• flavored or not
• sometimes salted or lightly salted

It's important to check the fat content, particularly if you're watching your weight. Fresh cheese varies a great deal in its fat content: 0%, 20%, 30%, 40%.

The keeping time of fresh cheeses is relatively short so that the fresh milk taste can come through. Pay attention to the "best before" date on the packaging. If the cheese gives off a somewhat bitter aroma, it’s no longer fresh. Store in the refrigerator in its original packaging or in waxed paper.

Soft cheeses should be served when young for their fresh tangy milky taste to be best appreciated. These cheeses should be served cold – take them out of the refrigerator just before serving.

These creamy cheeses go well with crudités, fruit and flavorful specialty breads such as olive bread, multi-grain, flaxseed or herb breads.

"Cream" type cheeses are a classic accompaniment to smoked salmon and bagels, though for a tasting you could also serve them with a platter of smoked salmon and some dense German or Austrian-style breads.

Place baker’s cheese or ricotta in a bowl. Blend in some finely chopped herbs (chives, parsley, green onion.) Add a drizzle of olive oil, some wine vinegar, salt and pepper. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate until serving time. Serve on baguette slices that have been buttered or oiled and toasted under the broiler, or with cantaloupe slices.

For dessert
Poach some peach halves for 15 minutes over low heat in a lime tea infusion sweetened with honey. Let rest 1 hour. Serve with fresh cheese and toasted pine nuts.

Express
Whip equal quantities of mascarpone and 35% cream. Flavor with tarragon and serve with a rhubarb compote.

Appetizers
Pit some prunes and/or dates; stuff them with fresh cheese flavored with a touch of ginger.

First course
Combine 200 g fresh mascarpone-style cheese with a finely chopped shallot and garlic clove; season with salt and pepper. Take a small ring mold or cookie cutter and fill with a layer of the seasoned cheese; cover with a slice of smoked salmon and refrigerate. Serve alone or with a cucumber salad.

Tartlets
Sauté a chopped onion and some sliced mushrooms in butter; in a bowl, combine 3 eggs and 100 g fresh cheese; season with salt, pepper and a pinch of marjoram. Fill tartlet shells (1 per person) with the mushrooms; pour the egg-cheese mixture over top; bake in a preheated 180° C (350° F) oven for about 15 minutes.

They go well with sparkling wines, champagne or light dry whites, served chilled. Red wines are too heavy.

• Water: 65-86%
• Protein: 7 g
• Fat: 0%, 20%, 30%, 40%
• Vitamin A: a fat-soluble vitamin (therefore found in fats). The lower the cheese's fat content, the lower the vitamin A content.

Fresh cheese (0%) is a valuable addition to a diet. Easily digestible and low in sodium, it has a high water content. It provides vitamin D and calcium for bone formation and helps prevent osteoporosis.

0% fromage frais is perfect if you're seeking a balanced diet. Containing no fat and low in cholesterol, it has only 20 calories per 25 g.

When should I eat fresh cheese?
In the morning for breakfast. Its proteins promote carbohydrate absorption and prevent the late morning "slump."

As part of a meal or snack, when you can't eat ripened or fermented cheeses because you're on a calorie- or cholesterol-reduced diet.