If ever French cheese and chilli crab had a love child, it’d be this. The third and final year of Europe Full of Character, presented by the French Dairy Board (CNIEL), has kicked off in Singapore. It’s unapologetically cheesy, boldly creative and brilliantly delicious. This season, cheekily branded “Cheese Eat Up!”, invites us to rethink our most beloved bites with a slice, a crumble or a melt of French cow’s-milk cheese shining through.
What’s Cooking in This Finale?
Over the past three years, CNIEL has fostered a culinary conversation between France and Singapore, offering tastings, workshops, and palate-expanding education for chefs, students (from institutions such as ITE, At-Sunrice, and SHATEC), food enthusiasts, and the media alike. Now, in its playful swansong, the campaign pushes local hawker-style dishes centre stage, reinventing them with French cheese that’s rich, versatile and steeped in heritage.
The Star Dish: Chilli Crab Toasts Reinvented
Take this: crispy, air-fried mantou buns heaped with spicy crab salad, crowned with a lavish shave of nutty, orange-hued Mimolette. It’s not just pretty. Its savoury-sweet notes complement chilli crab’s fiery tang, while the cheese’s texture delivers a satisfying contrast. The recipe’s a breeze. 15 minutes prep, 15 minutes cook, and ten glorious toasts to show off.
Here’s how to make them at home:
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Makes: 10 toasts
| For the base | 5 Mantou buns |
| For the chilli crab salad | 100g cooked white crab meat 1 tbsp mayonnaise ½ lime, juiced ½ tsp sriracha (adjust to taste) ½ tsp belachan shrimp paste Fine sea salt, to taste |
| For the sweet tomato-chilli jam | 2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce 1 tbsp tomato sauce ½ lime, juiced 100g cooked crab claws |
| To serve | 100g Mimolette cheese, shaved A Handful of coriander 2 spring onions, julienne |
- Slice and air-fry mantou until crisp.
- Mix crab meat with mayo, lime juice, sriracha and belachan.
- Dress crab claws in a sweet chilli and tomato sauce spiked with lime and toss
- Layer it all on the buns, top with shaved Mimolette, spring onions and fresh coriander, and serve with lime wedges
Mimolette’s savoury-sweet notes echo the essence of chilli crab. Its deep orange hue and firm texture make a bold visual and flavour contrast to the crab and chilli tomato jam, with belachan adding umami depth.
Words from the Cheesy Champs
“This campaign has been an exciting three-year journey of culinary connection between France and Singapore,” says Émilie Martin, Managing Director of CNIEL. And this season, she’s letting locals lead the way, pairing French cheeses with street-style bites in all their hands-on glory.
François Robin, Meilleur Ouvrier de France and resident cheese maestro, returns with a bold rallying cry: French cheeses “melt beautifully when heated, capture the sharpness of Asian ingredients, and simply delicious.” Minimal processing, maximum taste. He’s sold
More Than Just a Tasting
It’s not all about indulgence, though that’s no bad thing. The campaign includes a Trade & Media Tasting Showcase spotlighting local dishes rejigged with French flair, plus Culinary School Workshops guided by Maryjoy Lym of Jag Restaurant. Students are shown how to build modern cheese boards, and remix what’s familiar into something unexpectedly brilliant.
Why We’re Cheering This Finale
- Fusion done right – It doesn’t feel forced; it feels celebratory, both of tradition and imagination.
- Supporting local talent – From culinary schools to eateries, this injects creativity and confidence into our food scene.
- Accessible home cooking – With a compelling recipe like Chilli Crab Toast, anyone can join the cheese-centric fun without leaving home.
Your Next Move
Fancy your own cheesy twist? Tag your creations or spot more of this fusion brilliance on Instagram @cheesycharacters_sg. And perhaps, think of your own local-meets-French mash-up that’s been waiting to happen.