A guide to Boursin — the creamy, garlic-and-herb French spreadable cheese. What it's made of, its flavors, and the best ways to use it.
Boursin is the soft, creamy, crumbly spreadable cheese that turns up at parties and on cheese boards everywhere, most famously in its garlic-and-herb form. Rich and full of flavor, it's an easy crowd-pleaser and a surprisingly versatile cooking ingredient.
What Boursin Is
Boursin is a brand of soft, fresh, flavored cheese created in Normandy, France, in the 1950s by François Boursin. It's a Gournay-style fresh cheese — soft, creamy, and crumbly — blended with seasonings. Made from cow's milk and cream, it has a rich, spreadable texture and is sold in distinctive foil-wrapped pucks. While Boursin is a specific brand, the name has become almost generic for this style of garlic-and-herb spreadable cheese.
The Flavors
The iconic flavor is Ail et Fines Herbes — garlic and fine herbs — a heady blend of fresh garlic, parsley, chives, and other herbs folded through the creamy cheese. This original remains the most popular, but Boursin comes in many varieties, including cracked black pepper, shallot and chive, fig and nut, and others. The garlic-and-herb version is the one most people picture.
Flavor and Texture
Boursin is soft, creamy, and spreadable, with a slightly crumbly, fluffy texture and a rich, buttery base. The garlic-and-herb version is punchy and savory, bright with garlic and fresh herbs, with a tangy creaminess. It's bolder and more seasoned than plain cream cheese, designed to deliver lots of flavor in an easy-to-spread form.
How to Use Boursin
Boursin is wonderfully versatile. Spread it on crackers, crusty bread, and crostini; serve it as part of a cheese board or party platter; or use it as a dip with vegetables and breadsticks. In cooking, it melts into an instant creamy, garlicky sauce for pasta or chicken, enriches mashed potatoes and scrambled eggs, stuffs chicken breasts and mushrooms, and adds flavor to baked dishes. A baked Boursin pasta, where the cheese melts into tomatoes and pasta, has become a popular easy dinner.
Pairings
Boursin pairs with crisp white wines, light reds, and sparkling wine, as well as with fresh vegetables, crackers, and crusty bread. Its garlicky, herby flavor makes it a natural with bread and as a base for canapés.
Buying and Storing
Boursin is sold in foil-wrapped pucks in the refrigerated section, in garlic-and-herb and other flavors. Keep it refrigerated and use within a week or so of opening. Let it sit briefly at room temperature before serving so it softens and spreads more easily.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Boursin made of?
It's a soft, fresh cow's-milk cheese blended with cream and seasonings, most famously garlic and fine herbs.
Is Boursin like cream cheese?
It's similar but richer, softer, more crumbly, and more heavily seasoned, designed as a flavored spreadable cheese.
Can you cook with Boursin?
Yes. It melts into an instant creamy, garlicky sauce and is great for pasta, chicken, mashed potatoes, and baked dishes.