Group · Dairy
Cantal
Cantal is one of the oldest cheeses in France, mentioned by Pliny the Elder two thousand years ago. It is an uncooked pressed cheese and comes in different ages: young at thirty days, intermediate at three months, mature beyond eight months. Three very different cheeses under a single name.
On the nutrition side: 378 kcal per 100 g, with 31 g of fat, of which 24.2 g saturated, and 24.8 g of protein. It provides 817 mg of calcium and 511 mg of phosphorus per 100 g. One to watch: 2.15 g of salt, a high value.
Macronutrient breakdown
Nutrition table per 100 g
| Calories | 378 kcal |
| Kilojoules | 1570 kJ |
| Protein | 24,8 g |
| Fat | 31 g |
Micronutrients per 100 g
All measured nutrients, ranked by share of the daily reference intake.
- Calcium817 mg102 %
- Phosphorus511 mg73 %
- Omega-3 ALA0,17 g9 %
- EPA0,02 g8 %
- Total omega-30,19 g8 %
- Omega-6 LA0,41 g4 %
Anses Ciqual 2025. Source: Anses, 2025, Ciqual food composition table
Tips
817 mg of calcium: among the very highest in the database. A 30 g portion covers 31% of the reference intake. This is the logical counterpart of a cheese that is well drained and aged for a long time.
2.15 g of salt, on the other hand, calls for moderation. A 30 g portion provides 0.65 g, or 13% of the daily guideline. On a cheeseboard where you try three cheeses, the total mounts up quickly (see salt).
Ageing changes the taste a great deal, and the numbers hardly at all. A mature cantal is far more powerful than a young one for a very similar composition. In practice, you naturally eat less of it, which is the best trade-off.
Aligot and truffade need the young one. Only young cantal, or fresh tomme, stretches when heated. A mature cantal would simply make the dish greasy: this is a matter of technique, not quality.
Laguiole, salers, cantal: three close cheeses. The same technical family, with different terroirs and specifications. Salers is exclusively farmhouse and grass-fed, which gives it more character.
