Camembert

Camembert (pronounced KAM-əm-bair, or in French [kamɑ̃bɛʁ]) is a soft, creamy cow's milk cheese with a bloomy rind. It originated in the late 1700s in the Normandy region of northwestern France, specifically the village of Camembert. Often compared to brie in appearance, flavor, and texture, it has a slightly lower butterfat content—brie typically contains 20% to 25% fat by weight.

**Production**

The original Camembert was made from raw, unpasteurized milk. Today, the AOC variety "Camembert de Normandie" (which accounts for about 10% of production) must by law use only unpasteurized milk. Many modern cheesemakers, especially outside Normandy, use pasteurized milk for safety, regulatory compliance, or convenience.

To make the cheese, warmed cow's milk is inoculated with mesophilic bacteria, then rennet is added to coagulate it. The curd is cut into roughly 1 cm (half-inch) cubes, salted, and placed into low cylindrical molds. These molds are turned every six to twelve hours to ensure even whey drainage. After 48 hours, each mold holds a flat, cylindrical, solid cheese mass weighing about 250 grams (9 ounces). At this stage, the fresh cheese is hard, crumbly, and bland.

The cheese's surface is then sprayed with an aqueous suspension of the mold *Penicillium camemberti*. The cheeses are left to ripen for a legally mandated minimum of three weeks. This aging process produces the characteristic bloomy, edible rind and creamy interior. Once ripe, the cheeses are wrapped in paper and may be placed in wooden boxes for transport.

**History**

Camembert is said to have been first made in 1791 by Marie Harel, a Normandy farmer, following advice from Abbot Charles-Jean Bonvoust of Alençon. She is credited with refining an existing cheese recipe from the Pays d'Auge region and introducing it to a wider audience. She passed her methods to her daughter, whose husband, Victor Paynel, presented one of the best cheeses to Napoleon III, who gave it his royal approval.

The cheese as we know it today likely owes more to the industrialization of cheesemaking in the late 19th century. In 1890, engineer M. Ridel invented the wooden box used to transport Camembert, enabling it to travel longer distances—especially to America, where it became very popular. These boxes are still used.

Before the science of fungi was understood, Camembert rind color was unpredictable, most often blue-gray with brown spots. From the early 1900s, pure white rinds became more common, but it wasn't until the mid-1970s that pure white became standard.

During World War I, Camembert was famously issued to French troops, cementing its place in French popular culture. It appears frequently in French culture, literature, and history. Today, it is known worldwide, and many local varieties are produced.

The variety "Camembert de Normandie" received a protected designation of origin in 1992, following its original AOC in 1983. AOC Camembert must be made only from raw, unpasteurized milk from Normande cows. Hygiene regulations have restricted its import and sale in some countries, notably the United States, where a pasteurized-milk version is sold instead.

**Chemical Composition**

Camembert's characteristic odor comes from several compounds: diacetyl (buttery flavor), 3-methylbutanal, methional (from methionine breakdown), 1-octen-3-ol and 1-octen-3-one (from fat breakdown), phenethyl acetate, 2-undecanone, δ-decalactone, butyric acid, and isovaleric acid, as well as volatile sulfur compounds like S-methyl thioacetate. Overripe Camembert contains an unpleasant excess of ammonia, produced by the same microorganisms needed for ripening.

**Comparison to Brie**

Brie and Camembert are similar soft cow's milk cheeses, but they have notable differences in origin, shape, size, and flavor. Brie comes from the Brie region, while Camembert comes from Normandy. Traditionally, Brie is made in large wheels—either 22.9 cm (9 in) or 36.8 cm (14.5 in) in diameter—so it takes longer to ripen than the smaller Camembert. Brie is usually sold in cut segments from these larger wheels, though some variations are sold as small, flat cylinders; as a result, the sides of Brie segments lack rind. Camembert, by contrast, is ripened as a small, round cheese measuring 10.2 cm (4 in) in diameter and 3.2 cm (1.26 in) thick, fully covered by its rind. This size and rind coverage give Camembert a slightly stronger flavor than Brie aged for the same time. Once cut, Camembert's rind typically emits a more pungent aroma than Brie's.

In taste, Camembert is stronger, slightly sour, and sometimes chalky. Its texture is softer than Brie's. When warmed, Camembert becomes creamier, while Brie holds its structure better.

**Packaging**

Camembert is usually sold whole in thin, round wooden containers made from poplar. Modern packaging includes cartons and tin cans with ring-pull tabs (though metallic boxes are not sold on the French market). Cardboard boxes are reserved for low-cost versions. In all cases, the cheese is wrapped dry in a paper/foil wrapper, not immersed in brine or oil.