France's undisputed queens of cheese

France's undisputed queens of cheese Emily Monaco While knowledgeable about aging, Nathalie Quatrehomme focuses on her front-of-the-house role While gender has long governed the world of cheesemongering – like many culinary professions in France – the rules are changing. Emily Monaco Marie Quatrehomme's final project for her MOF competition was "La Pyramide des Saveurs" "You could say was the final trial," Nathalie said of her mother's work of cheese art. Emily Monaco The flagship Quatrehomme shop was founded by Nathalie Quatrehomme's grandparents in 1953 "After 15 years in childhood education, she became a cheesemonger, wholly embracing her new craft by becoming both a respected authority on all things cheese related and an expert affineur, all the while developing and cultivating close relationships with cheesemakers throughout France," explained Jennifer Greco, French cheese educator and tour guide based in Paris. Emily Monaco At Quatrehomme's flagship shop, up to 200 cheeses may be on offer at any given time "We age, but let's be honest, we're mainly aging small pieces," she explained. Emily Monaco Quatrehomme's smoked goat cheeses require quite a bit of trial and error to develop "We had to balance when the cheese is aged enough – but not too much – to withstand the smoking process," Nathalie said.