Camembert de Normandie

Camembert de Normandie is a soft cheese with a white mold rind made from raw cow’s milk. It has been around for little over 200 years, with the inventor believed to be Marie Harel from the village of Camembert in Normandy. In 1880 an engineer named Ridel invented the characteristic wooden box to hold the cheese for travel without damage. The design became famous and was copied in other soft cheese. Surprisingly, this cheese only received its AOC status in 1983.

Rennet is added to milk to make it separate, with five ladles of curds poured into molds at intervals of one hour. The cheese made this way can be called Camembert de Normandie au lait cru, moule a la louche. Dry salt is then added and left to mature at room temperature, with a tiny amount of mold to help form its typical white rind. The cheese is turned over 48 hours and must be at least 21 days old before sale. It takes about 5 pints of milk to make one Camembert.

It has a small cylindrical shape, measuring 4-5 inch in diameter and 1 inch thick, weighing about 9 oz. There is soft red marks on the fine, grooved, white-bloomed rind, with the mass being white to light yellow, soft but not runny. The heart of fresh Camembert is crumbly and flaky, but when ripe it is soft, elastic and smooth. Fresh Camembert tastes slightly acidic, but when ripe it is a little fruity.

Very ripe Camembert goes well with hearty cider or mature Calvados. Young Camembert is good with fine red wines with fruity, ripe character and understated tannin, like those from Cotes de Beaune or mature St-Emilion.