Camembert is a soft, semi-hard cheese with a protected designation of origin. It is made from raw milk, heated and combined with rennet, and matured for 12 days. It has a creamy and delicate flavour and is best eaten fully ripened. Camembert has a considerable amount of folklore surrounding it, including the story of how it got its first name.
Camembert is one of the most famous French cheeses, famous all over the world for its creamy and delicate flavour. Camembert was one of the first foods to earn a protected designation of origin, and the production and sale of the cheese has been closely controlled under this designation since 1983. Camembert often appears on dessert platters, though it’s also excellent spread on bread with packed lunches, and is occasionally even roasted.
Camembert is a soft, semi-hard cheese that becomes softer and creamier as it ages. A fully aged Camembert will be creamy in the center, with no rough texture. While young Camembert can be eaten, it tastes best when the cheese is fully ripened and has acquired a slightly runny consistency. The cheese has salty notes and also tends to be a little bitter, a flavor that interacts well with fruit and other desserts.
Cheeses similar to Camembert have been made in the Normandy part of France for centuries, but Camembert as it is known today has probably been made since the 1800s. There is a considerable amount of folklore surrounding the famous cheese, including the story of how it got its first name. Supposedly, Camembert was made by one Marie Harel, who presented one of her products to Napoleon. Napoleon, delighted with the cheese, exchanged the name of the city for the name of the cheese, and Camembert was officially named. The commune of Camembert scatters this colorful story, arguing that the cheese only became popular after the railroad made rapid shipping possible in the mid-1800s.
Camembert is made from fresh raw milk that is heated and combined with rennet, which causes it to curl. The curds are ladleed into cheese molds that can drain for a full day, periodically rotated so both sides of the cheese drain. After the curds have set slightly, they are removed from the molds and salted before the addition of the Penicillium camemberti. The maturation of the cheese takes about 12 days, after which it is matured before being sold.
Camembert is usually eaten after 5-6 days of ageing, because the cheese is quite fragile. If left to age too long, cheese can become infested with opportunistic molds, which is not desired. If eaten too young, however, the cheese will have an aggressive, chalky texture. If you buy a full round of Camembert, it should be tested so you can see all the way through the quality of the cheese. If you buy a wedge, look for one that is creamy all the way through and slightly runny.
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