Boursin Cheese

Boursin cheese, serving suggestion. PDPhotos / Pixabay.com / 2010 / CC0 1.0

Boursin cheese is a creamy (75% butterfat), mild cheese made from pasteurized cow’s milk to which is added cream and seasonings.

It is sold either in 150 g (≈ 5 oz ) short, squat cylinders, or in packages of 6 individually-wrapped portion pieces. Both offerings are available in foil; sandwich-spread versions are now also offered in plastic tubs.

There is a plain version, but more prevalent are the versions that are flavoured with garlic and herbs, or coated with pepper. Other flavours include onion and chive, salmon and olive, etc.

Cooking Tips

Boursin is typically served as a snacking cheese. Bring to room temperature before serving.

It can also be used as an ingredient in recipes. It works well in sauces. The company’s website presents many recipe suggestions: Boursin recipes.

Substitutes

Rondelé and Alouette are American versions.

DIY Boursin

Packaged seasoning mixtures are available to mix with cream cheese and butter to make a Boursin approximation. If you’re going to go that route, the following recipe might do the same job as the seasoning mix if you have all the ingredients to hand:

Mix in a food processor using steel blade:

• 225 g (8 ounces) of cream cheese
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon minced parsley
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• ½ teaspoon minced garlic
• ¼ teaspoon ground pepper

Boursin in foil wrap. © Cooksinfo / 2015

Storage Hints

Refrigerate Boursin after opening for up to a few days. You can freeze Boursin, though upon thawing it will be crumbly and best used as an ingredient in cooking.

History Notes

François Boursin opened a cheese factory called “Société de la Fromagerie Boursin” in 1957 in Croisy-sur-Eure, France.

In 1963, he launched his new cheese product calling it “Boursin”. He based it on traditional Normandy fresh cheeses such as Neufchâtel Cheese, but it had one very modern innovation: the packaging:

“Boursin Ail & Fines Herbes was launched in 1963, in a bold packaging: a pleated aluminum foil that protected the cheese.” ^[1]Boursin. Au Magasin website. Accessed February 2022 at https://www.au-magasin.fr/marques/boursin-1.html

On the 1st of October, 1968, advertising was allowed on television for the first time in France, and Boursin was ready with a TV ad that was broadcast that very day. It was a black and white advertisement depicting a man getting out of bed to have some Boursin as a snack.

In 1972, the company launched the now-famous slogan “Du pain, du vin et du boursin” (bread, wine and boursin). ^[2]”Création du slogan “Du pain, du vin, du Boursin.” Lancement du Boursin en portions.” — Boursin. Au Magasin website. Accessed February 2022 at https://www.au-magasin.fr/marques/boursin-1.html . In the same year, the company introduced its portion-sized offerings.

Here is a 1975 television advertisement using the slogan:

In 1983, the business was bought out by Unilever.

The Romans made a cheese product like Boursin, which they called Moretum.