Cantal

“People don’t really want to think about what cheese they are having; they don’t want to figure out what a Cantal cheese is,” she said, referring to a firm, natural-rinded cow’s milk cheese traditionally produced in Auvergne.

The team at Bichettes in Paris' 10th arrondissement opt for Comté for similar flavor and a made-in-France appeal, and at Bouillon République in Paris' 3rd arrondissement, they use Cantal, one of France's oldest cheeses, with a texture and flavor profile more similar to cheddar.

One option they have, Lours told La Montagne, is to use their milk to make cantal, a type of cheese similar to salers but without as many restrictions.

In France, the dry spell has been so severe that the country has 62 regions with restrictions on water usage — including Cantal, where salers is produced.

Yet that itself comes with a financial loss, since salers is valued higher than cantal.