On my first flight to France 15 years ago, a little foiled triangle of Vache Qui Rit cheese was included with our meal. Of course, being pretty clueless, I thought it was hilarious that they had translated it directly from “The Laughing Cow” into French (it wouldn’t be the last time I realized it was the other way around). But aside from knowing it was a soft cheese without any “white stuff” surrounding it, like the mini-camembert I couldn’t quite eat yet, I never really knew anything about La Vache Qui Rit.
As I integrated into French life, I learned that it wasn’t culturally cool to eat “industrialized” cheese, as my Parisian roommate called it (at that time, I had actually thought myself pretty evolved because I ate Caprices des Dieux, spread on a baguette with butter, “white stuff” and all). But it’s never too late to learn something new, and today I finally discovered the fascinating and illustrious past of La Vache Qui Rit.
So I was browsing the old military artifacts in the lobby of the Service Historique de la Défense at the Château de Vincennes (military archives…yes, this is how I spend my free time). Between old medals, portraits of generals, and a few old canons was a small glass display where, from across the room, I could see what looked like an old box of La Vache Qui Rit. Thinking I could make a Spam-related army food joke, I went over to have a closer look.
It turns out that the original laughing cow was thought up by a well-known cartoonist Benjamin Rabier when he was serving as an officer in the military during World War One. He painted a laughing cow on the trucks transporting the soldiers’ meat rations along with the word “Wachkyrie”, which was supposedly to poke fun at the Germans’ own supplies trucks that were decorated with the mythical Walkyries of Norse legend (popularized in Germany by Wagner’s “Ride of the Valkyries“).
Said in French, “Wachkyrie” sounds like “Vache Qui Rit”, which seemed to amuse the other French soldiers, including a certain young dairy farmer, Léon Bel. In fact, he like it so much that in 1921 he asked Rabier to draw him a new version specifically for his newly created soft cheese, La Vache Qui Rit. Rabier gave the original cow a new red coat and little cheese box earrings, et voila, the laughing cow was born.
Another interesting fact: La Vache Qui Rit was one of the very first trademarked cheeses in France (16 April 1921), since up until then most cheeses were still made by small dairy farmers and artisans.
La Vache Qui Rit is made with a mixture of different cheeses, including Emmental, Comté, and Gouda. Vegetarians will be happy to note that it does not contain any pork fat like so many other cheeses (in fact, it only has milk fat in it, making it one of the only Hallal-certified industrial cheeses in France).
So how does the laughing cow keep generation after generation of kids interested in eating those little triangular cheeses? With a new “look” of course. Check out the latest commercial, with a shameless remake of the Philippe Katerine song 100% VIP (warning, this stupid song will be stuck in your head all day):
Was discussing “Laughing Cow” cheese with my wife. I contended that I remembered it as a kid, but with the name, “La Vache Qui Rit.” So we called upon “Mr. Google” who found this article. I was vindicated, but more importantly I learned the source of that silly name! Thank you (8 years after the article) – sadly, the video is no longer available.
I recently flew to Paris and was given the small mini round container of the cheese. it was so creamy! I've bought "the Laughing Cow" in the U.S. supermarkets but don't recall that it was the same texture… Not creamy like the one on the Plane.
Such a funny Cow. I liked the video also!
I may have to link this to my blog! I remember skipping to a Vache Qui Rit rhyme as a child at school in France. Perhaps the halal certification explains its popularity in my part of the Middle East?
Nice post! Thank you for sharing your findings about this famous Cow!
Andrea, look for "présure" in industrial cheeses (except Vache Qui Rit), which often comes from animal intestines (lamb, pork or veal).
Is it true that some cheeses contain pork fat? Are you talking about rennet or something else? I really don't want to eat cheese with pork based ingredients but I looked on the ingredient list on some of the cheese I have and it doesn't say anything like that. In fact some of them don't even list the ingredients at all which is strange, I think.
what a great post! I love the history you gave behind an everyday product that is loved by pretty much everyone! I especially love the evolution of "Wachkyrie." As for the funny white coat surrounding many other French cheeses…. do you eat those now?? 😉
La Vache is very important at our house that we have to buy the "high rise" wheels
I love it myself. It makes an easy snack to put out for parties too.
Loved the post, the history is SO interesting. I am a sworn francophone who loves cheese, especially French cheeses but that doesn't keep me from eating La Vache Qui Rit also, I like the taste much to my French husband's dismay!
I love the new Queso Fresco and Chipotle flavor – it finally tastes like something!
Pork fat in industrial cheese, so happy to know about this so that I'm careful. Thanks for the great history!
Fascinating, thanks for filling in all that background!La Vache is so essential at our house that we have to buy the "high rise" wheels from Costco!
How perfectly odd that the Historique de la Défense is in fact at the Chateau de Vincennes.-rh.
Hi Tina, I always miss that, too. This year I even had planned on going and ended up in bed nursing a cold instead. C'est la vie….but I think I'll be out in Vincennes more often. So many cute men in uniform walking around! (FYI: for those who don't know, there's still a military fort on the grounds).
Great story and SO GLAD to hear that you spend at least a little bit of your time here in the Chateau de Vincennes! The one thing I have never seen you comment on is the America Festival that takes place every year in Vincennes, usually in Septemer. I always seem to miss it cos I am usually away at that time, but it includes all of the Americas – North, Central, and South – and authors, films, and books from a variety of countries. Pretty interesting. 🙂
Oh, I used to love vache qui rit as a kid! We actually called it that, because my mom lived in France for a year and I guess the name stuck in her head. It was many years before I realized that the words had meaning beyond "cheese wrapped in triangles of foil."