Patrick Oconnell
Camembert is a soft, creamy, and moist French cheese made from cow's milk. It was first made in the late 18th century in Camembert, Normandy, in northwest France. The cheese gets its characteristic odour and flavour from several compounds, including diacetyl and methional. The original Camembert, created by Marie Harel in 1791, is made from raw, unpasteurized milk and has a creamy, buttery flavour and white bloomy rind. Modern cheesemakers often use pasteurized milk for safety, compliance, and convenience.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Place of Origin | Normandy, France |
| Date of Origin | 1791 |
| Creator | Marie Harel |
| Main Ingredients | Cow's milk, Penicillium camemberti |
| Other Ingredients | Mesophilic bacteria, Rennet |
| Texture | Soft, creamy |
| Rind | White, bloomy, edible |
| Taste | Milky, buttery, tangy, mushroomy, brothy, vegetal |
| Odor | Diacetyl, 3-methylbutanal, methional, 1-octen-3-ol, 1-octen-3-one, phenethyl acetate, 2-undecanone, δ-decalactone, butyric acid, isovaleric acid, volatile sulfur compounds |
| Pairings | Honey, fresh berries, fruit preserves, cured meats, sauteed mushrooms, roasted garlic, walnuts, white wine |
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Cow's milk
Camembert is a soft, creamy, surface-ripened cow's milk cheese. It was first made in the late 18th century in Camembert, Normandy, in northwest France. The original Camembert, created by Marie Harel in 1791, is made from raw, unpasteurized cow's milk. However, modern cheesemakers often use pasteurized milk for safety, compliance with regulations, and convenience.
To make Camembert cheese, warmed cow's milk is inoculated with mesophilic bacteria and then mixed with rennet, causing the milk to coagulate and form a soft curd. This curd is then cut into small cubes, salted, and transferred to cylindrical moulds. The moulds are carefully inverted to encourage whey drainage, and the cheese is salted to slow bacterial action. The fresh cheese is then placed in a cool room to dry and age, developing its characteristic white surface and creamy texture.
The distinctive bloomy, edible rind and creamy interior of Camembert are a result of the ripening process. The cheese is sprayed with an aqueous suspension of the mould Penicillium camemberti, and left to ripen for a minimum of three weeks. During this time, beneficial microbes break down the fats and proteins in the cheese, creating a soft, liquid cream line beneath the rind. As the cheese ages, the cream line expands, and the cheese develops stronger flavours and aromas.
The Camembert de Normandie variety, produced in certain parts of Normandy, is required by law to be made with raw milk from Normandes cows. It has a protected designation of origin, ensuring that only cheeses made in this specific region can bear the name. This variety has a slightly lower butterfat content than Brie, ranging from 10% to 20% by weight.
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Penicillium camemberti mould
The distinctive bloomy, edible rind and creamy interior texture of Camembert cheese are the result of the Penicillium camemberti mould. This mould is sprayed onto the surface of the cheese, which is then left to ripen for a minimum of three weeks. During this time, the mould slowly ripens the cheese from the outside in, breaking down fats and proteins. This process creates the soft, liquid cream line beneath the rind, which gradually takes over more of the interior of the cheese as it ages, resulting in the characteristic texture and flavour of Camembert.
The mould also contributes to the formation of the cheese's signature white skin, which is edible. The white colour of the rind is a relatively modern development, with pure white becoming the standard in the mid-1970s. Before that, the colour of the Camembert rind was mostly blue-grey with brown spots, depending on the mould that formed during the ripening process.
The use of Penicillium camemberti mould is a key step in the production of Camembert cheese, which originated in the village of Camembert in Normandy, France, in the late 18th century. The cheese is made from cow's milk, which is warmed and inoculated with mesophilic bacteria, then coagulated with rennet to form a soft curd. The curd is then cut into small cubes, salted, and transferred to cylindrical moulds to drain and form its shape.
The moulding process involves carefully transferring the curd to the moulds set on a draining mat to release the whey over 12-24 hours. The moulds are inverted several times to encourage even drainage. After this, the cheese is salted and placed in a cool room to dry the surface further before ageing. The surface flora then develops, leading to the final ripening and transformation of the curd texture into the soft, creamy Camembert.
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Rennet
The origins of cheesemaking are not entirely clear, but one story goes that a nomadic shepherd travelled with milk in a sack made from the stomach of a young animal. When the shepherd arrived at their destination and took a drink of the milk, they found that it had curdled into a solid. This story illustrates how rennet is essential to the process of cheesemaking, as it extends the "shelf life" of milk.
Today, over 80% of the cheese consumed in North America is made from non-animal sources of chymosin. However, many cheesemakers still want the bovine pepsin enzyme for certain types of cheese, especially aged cheddars, so they continue to use calf-derived rennet. The source of the rennet used in a cheese may be listed on the packaging. For example, if the package says "microbial rennet" or "fermented rennet", then the cheese is likely suitable for vegetarians who consume dairy.
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Draining and drying
At the end of this period, the cheese is salted on one side and then the other to slow bacterial action. The cheese is then moved to a cool room with good airflow to further dry the surface in preparation for ageing. This step is crucial for the development of the surface flora, which will be responsible for the final ripening and changing of the curd texture.
Once the cheese has been drained and dried, it is moved to a space for ageing. This is when the surface flora develops, and the raw white curd transforms into the soft, creamy Camembert that we know and love. As the cheese ages, its cream line takes over more of the interior, and the wheel develops stronger flavours and aromas.
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Ripening
To initiate the ripening process, the fresh cheese is placed in a cool room with good airflow to facilitate surface drying. This step is essential for preparing the cheese for ageing and promoting the growth of the desired moulds.
The surface of each cheese is then treated with the mould Penicillium camemberti. This mould is responsible for the distinctive white rind and creamy interior texture of Camembert. The mould is typically applied by spraying an aqueous suspension of it onto the surface of the cheese.
During the ripening period, which can last from a minimum of three weeks to up to six to eight weeks, the cheese undergoes significant changes. The mould slowly ripens the cheese from the outside in, with beneficial microbes breaking down fats and proteins. This process results in the formation of a soft, liquid cream line beneath the rind, which gradually expands towards the centre of the cheese.
As the Camembert ages, its flavour intensifies, ranging from mild to strong. Overripe Camembert, however, can develop an unpleasant ammonia aroma due to excessive ammonia production by the same microorganisms responsible for ripening. Therefore, proper ripening and ageing conditions are crucial to achieving the desired flavour and texture of this iconic French cheese.
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Frequently asked questions
Camembert cheese is made from cow's milk.
The first Camembert was made from unpasteurized milk, and the AOC variety "Camembert de Normandie" is required by law to be made only with unpasteurized milk. However, many modern cheesemakers outside of Normandy, France, use pasteurized milk for reasons of safety, compliance with regulations, or convenience.
The cheese is made by inoculating warmed cow milk with mesophilic bacteria, then adding rennet and allowing the mixture to coagulate. The curd is then cut into roughly 1 cm (1/2 inch) cubes, salted, and transferred to low cylindrical camembert molds. The molds are turned every six to twelve hours to allow the whey to drain evenly from the cut curds.
Camembert cheese was first made in the late 18th century in Camembert, Normandy, in northwest France. It is named for a village in that region.
Camembert cheese has a creamy, ivory-coloured interior and a downy white surface or rind. The texture is soft and almost oozing.
