Patrick Oconnell
Cambozola is a soft-ripened cheese made from cow's milk. It was first produced in Germany in the 1970s and has been sold since 1983. It is often described as a blend of French Camembert and Italian Gorgonzola, with a creamy texture and a mild blue flavour. The cheese is produced by adding extra cream to the milk, resulting in a rich consistency. Cambozola is a great option for those who want to experience a complex and unique flavour, aroma and texture without the sharpness of traditional blue cheeses.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Type of Cheese | Soft-ripened, triple-crème, blue cheese |
| Ingredients | Pasteurized cow's milk, cream, Penicillium camemberti, Penicillium roqueforti mould |
| Flavor | Creamy, buttery, tangy, mild, earthy, smooth, rich, sharp |
| Texture | Smooth, creamy, bloomy, spreadable |
| Colour | White with blue veins, grey-mould rind |
| Brand | Champignon, Käserei Champignon |
| Origin | Germany |
| Inventors | Julius Hirschle, Leopold Immler |
| Year Introduced | 1970s or 1980 |
| Similar Cheeses | Camembert, Gorgonzola, Roquefort, Point Reyes Blue, Brie |
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What You'll Learn
Cambozola is a blend of French Camembert and Italian Gorgonzola
Cambozola is a soft-ripened, triple-cream cheese made from cow's milk. It is a combination of French soft-ripened triple-cream cheese and Italian Gorgonzola. The cheese was first made in the 1900s and later revamped in the 1970s by German creamery Käserei Champignon. It has been sold since 1983 and is still produced by Champignon, based in the small town of Kempten (formerly known as Cambodunum) in the Allgäu region of southern Germany.
The name "Cambozola" is a portmanteau of "Camembert" and "Gorgonzola", reflecting its hybrid nature. It is produced by the German company Käserei Champignon. The cheese is made by adding fresh cream and two separate moulds, Penicillium camemberti and Penicillium roqueforti, to pasteurised cow's milk. The former mould is also found in Camembert, while the latter is the same blue mould used to make Gorgonzola, Roquefort, and Stilton. The addition of extra cream to the milk gives Cambozola its rich consistency and sets it apart from other blue cheeses.
Cambozola is often marketed in English-speaking countries as blue brie. It has a rich, buttery, and nutty flavour with mild, earthy, savoury, and spicy notes. It is milder than a typical blue cheese. Its texture is smooth, creamy, and spreadable, with a soft, bloomy, grey-mold rind. The density of the paste prevents the blue mould from spreading beyond the pierce points.
There are two popular versions of Cambozola: the young Classic and the matured Black Label. The Black Label version is aged for longer, resulting in a more robust blue flavour. The longer aging process also results in a natural grey rind. The Classic version, on the other hand, has a milder flavour and a white rind.
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It is a triple-crème cheese with a bloomy, grey-mould rind
Cambozola is a soft-ripened cheese made from cow's milk. It is a triple-crème cheese with a rich consistency and a bloomy, grey-mould rind. The cheese gets its special flavour from the blue cheese veins inside. The edible rind is similar to that of Camembert.
Triple-cream cheese, or "fromage triple-crème", is a type of cow's milk cheese that contains at least 75% fat in its dry matter. This high fat content is achieved by adding cream to the milk before it forms curds, resulting in a rich, velvety texture and flavour. Triple-cream cheeses can be fresh, like mascarpone, or soft-ripened, like Brillat-Savarin, Boursault, Blue Castello, Explorateur, and St. André. They are descendants of the first triple-cream from Normandy, France, in the 1930s.
Triple-cream cheeses, including Cambozola, are characterised by their bloomy rinds. A bloomy rind, also known as a surface-ripened, mould-ripened, or soft-ripened rind, is formed by yeast and mould growing on the surface of the cheese. The rind is edible and adds an important element of flavour to the cheese. Bloomy rinds are typically white and velvety, and the cheese underneath can range from chalky to creamy in texture.
The process of making a bloomy rind cheese begins with a firm, almost rubbery texture. Over time, the mould transforms the cheese into a gooey, spreadable texture. The mould and yeast metabolise the fat and protein in the young cheese, breaking it down and resulting in a creamy texture. The flavour of bloomy rind cheeses can be described as buttery, earthy, or mushroomy.
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It was developed in Germany in the 1970s
Cambozola is a soft-ripened, creamy, and buttery speciality cheese made from cow's milk. It was developed in the Allgäu region in southern Germany in the 1970s and is a combination of French Camembert and Italian Gorgonzola. The cheese was first produced by Käserei Champignon, which was founded in 1908 in Heising, Germany, through a collaboration between cheesemaker Julius Hirschle and wholesaler Leopold Immler. By 1914, the company was processing 8,000 litres of fresh alpine cow's milk from the Allgäu region each day to create their signature cheese, Champignon Camembert. In the 1970s, the company developed Cambozola, which blends the creaminess and the Penicillium camemberti mould-ripened rind of Camembert with the tangy, blue flavour of Gorgonzola. The cheese was patented and industrially produced for the global market by the German company Hofmeister-Champignon and has been sold since 1983.
The name "Cambozola" is a portmanteau of "Camembert" and "Gorgonzola", reflecting the combination of these two cheeses in its creation. The manufacturer, Champignon, is based in the small town of Kempten, which further supports the naming of the cheese as the old Roman name for the town was Cambodunum.
Cambozola is a triple-crème cheese, meaning it contains at least 75% butterfat by dry weight. The fat content is increased by adding cream to the milk at the start of the cheesemaking process. The pasteurised cow's milk cheese ripens slowly at a low temperature, allowing the paste to gradually break down and amplify its toasty, buttery taste and texture. The density of the paste prevents the blue mould from spreading beyond the pierce points, resulting in limited blue veining. The cheese is wrapped in a grey-mold, bloomy rind, characteristic of triple-crèmes, while the edible rind is similar to that of Camembert.
Cambozola is considerably milder than Gorgonzola piccante and features a smooth, creamy texture with a subdued blue flavour. It is often marketed as blue brie in English-speaking countries and pairs well with honey, beef salami, and champagne.
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It is marketed as blue brie in English-speaking countries
Cambozola is a soft-ripened cheese made from cow's milk. It was first developed in Germany during the 1970s and has been sold since 1983. The cheese is a combination of French Camembert and Italian Gorgonzola, with extra cream added to the milk, resulting in a rich consistency. This extra creaminess gives it a unique flavour and texture compared to other blue cheeses, making it a good introductory blue cheese for those who are not accustomed to the taste.
In English-speaking countries, Cambozola is often marketed as blue brie. However, some people disagree with this characterisation, arguing that it does not taste much like brie. Despite this, it has proven popular in English-speaking countries, with some people describing it as a "gateway blue" for those who are not usually fans of blue cheese.
The name "Cambozola" is a portmanteau of "Camembert" and "Gorgonzola", reflecting its combination of creaminess and tangy blue flavour. It is produced by Käserei Champignon, a German company founded in 1908 through the collaboration of cheesemaker Julius Hirschle and wholesaler Leopold Immler. The company first found success with their signature "Champignon Camembert", which was exported to Africa in 1931.
Cambozola is often described as having a creamy, buttery texture with a mild, tangy taste. It is a semi-soft cheese with a bloomy, grey-mould rind and limited blue veining. The density of the cheese prevents the blue mould from spreading beyond the pierce points. It is best paired with sweet foods such as honey, fruit, or brownies, and is often enjoyed with a glass of champagne or red wine.
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It is a good introductory blue cheese for those who don't usually like it
Cambozola is a soft-ripened cheese made from cow's milk. It is a triple-crème cheese, meaning it contains at least 75% butterfat by dry weight. The addition of extra cream to the milk gives it a rich, creamy texture and a mild flavour. This makes it a good introductory blue cheese for those who don't usually like stronger, sharper blue cheeses.
Cambozola has a very subtle blue flavour, with just a hint of blue veining. It is made from a combination of Penicillium camemberti and the blue Penicillium roqueforti mould, which is also used to make other blue cheeses such as Gorgonzola, Roquefort, and Stilton. The cheese gets its name from a portmanteau of Camembert and Gorgonzola, as it blends the creaminess and mould-ripened rind of the former with the tangy, blue flavour of the latter.
The cheese is produced by the German company Käserei Champignon, which was founded in 1908 in Heising, Germany, by cheesemaker Julius Hirschle and wholesaler Leopold Immler. The company first created a signature Camembert cheese, which was exported to Africa in 1931. Cambozola itself was first introduced in the 1970s or 1980s and has since become a well-known and award-winning cheese, particularly in the United States.
Cambozola's mild flavour and creamy texture make it a good option for those who want to ease into the world of blue cheese. It can be enjoyed in a variety of ways, such as spread on crackers or fresh-from-the-oven brownies, blended into a vinaigrette salad dressing, or paired with honey and a glass of champagne. Its versatility and approachable flavour profile make it a great choice for those looking to expand their cheese horizons.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, Cambozola is a blue cheese with a creamy texture and a mild flavour.
Cambozola is made from cow's milk with added cream, and contains the moulds Penicillium camemberti and Penicillium roqueforti.
Cambozola has a creamy, rich, tangy and mildly sharp flavour. It is considerably milder than Gorgonzola piccante.
Cambozola is often served with honey, pear paste, fresh fruit, or melted over a burger. It pairs well with a glass of champagne, Pinot Noir, or a rich porter or stout beer.
Cambozola was developed in Germany in the 1970s and has been sold since 1983.
