French cheese cancoillotte goes viral on TikTok, sales surge

Cancoillotte, a sticky French cheese from Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, has gone viral on Instagram and TikTok after influencers praised its low cost (about €2.50 per pack) and low fat content. The most successful video was by French influencer Johan Papz, who called it "the best day of his life." The cheese, made from metton (a fermented skim-milk curd), has a beige, glue-like consistency and a fondue-like taste. Sales jumped 16% for garlic-flavored and 13% for natural cancoillotte at Carrefour in the past month, according to Libération. Circana reported a 9% increase in sales for the week of April 20–26, 2025 compared to the same period in 2025. The sudden demand has caused stock shortages. However, cancoillotte's popularity had been growing since 2018, with a 35% sales increase, thanks to a promotion association founded in 2013. The cheese gained IGP certification in 2022. Association president Julia Morin said influencers had an unexpected impact. French SMEs minister Serge Papin also posted a video buying the cheese. Social media memes compare cancoillotte to matcha and feature a scene from The Devil Wears Prada.