Usually, because of its name, people wrongly attribute Petit-Suisse to Switzerland. In fact, it is a French cheese, first made in Normandy in 1850 in a dairy of Auvilliers near Beauvais. It was the idea of a Swiss employee at the dairy who suggested that adding cream to the curd would enrich the flavour of the cheese.

Petit-Suisse is a fresh cheese which is unripened, unsalty, smooth and creamy. Its texture is more comparable to a thick yoghurt than a cheese. Made from cow’s milk, it is enriched with cream so that it contains at least 40% fat content.

The 30g version of the cheese is called Petit-Suisse, while larger packagings are referred to as a double Suisse, double petit-Suisse or Suisse double.

Petit-Suisse has a mixture of sweet and sour flavours and tastes delicious with jam, fruit, honey and nuts. It is sometimes salted and peppered with herbs. This cheese is also used as a base for several traditional French desserts.