Boursin
Boursin is a French brand of soft, fresh Gournay-style cheese made from pasteurized cow's milk and cream with herbs mixed in. It spreads easily, crumbles a little, and is best known for its original garlic and fine herbs flavour.
Key Facts
| Country of Origin | France |
| Specific Origin | Normandy |
| Milk Type | Cow's milk |
| Milk Treatment | Pasteurized |
| Fat Content | High |
| Moisture Content | Low |
| Rind | None |
| Texture | Soft and creamy |
| Flavor | Garlic and herbs, pepper, or shallots and chive |
| Aroma | Mild |
| Colors | White |
| Forms | Foil-wrapped portions |
| Age | Fresh (not aged) |
| Rennet Type | Microbial |
What is Boursin Cheese?
Boursin comes from Normandy, where cheesemaker François Boursin invented it as a Gournay cheese in 1957. The first flavour, garlic and fine herbs, followed in 1963. The idea came from fromage frais, a party dish where guests stirred herbs into fresh cheese themselves, and Boursin's version became the first flavoured cheese product sold nationally in France.
The cheese is made from pasteurized cow's milk and cream, with the herbs mixed straight into the curd. It was once produced only in Croisy-sur-Eure, by the Boursin company. Unilever bought the name in 1990 and sold it to Groupe Bel in November 2007 for 400 million euros.
It is soft, fresh and creamy, with a crumbly texture that still spreads. The article compares it to mascarpone, goat's milk chèvre and Brie. Garlic and fines herbes remains the original flavour, and cracked black pepper is another.
Boursin is sold as a spreadable cheese and goes on bread, which the 1972 advertising slogan made plain: Du pain, du vin, du Boursin. Chef Ludo Lefevbre uses the cracked black pepper version as a filling for a French omelette.
How Does Boursin Cheese Compare?
The most relevant cheeses to compare Boursin against.
