Today I wanted to talk about a rather well known cheese... Camembert.
The Camembert that we are able to receive in the United States are different than the Camembert that you would get in France. The information for the PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) or the real Camembert that you can purchase in France is as follows...
Cheese: Camembert Normandie
Producer: Various
Region: Normandy, France
Milk: Raw cow's milk
Rennet: Traditional (animal)
Other AOC/PDO requirements: Must be 250g, made in Normandy and made with milk only from the local herds of Normandie cows.
The only difference with the Camembert in the US is that it is made with pasteurized milk. Herve Mons, the producer of the Camembert pictured above, stayed as close to the original recipe as he could while using pasteurized milk and created a wonderful, authentic tasting Camembert. This particular Camembert was hand picked by our global cheese buyer, Cathy Strange, and is exclusive to Whole Foods Market. To learn more about this partnership, check out this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1KSJS7hkx8k
One thing I like to point out, specifically in the case of Camembert, is to make sure you let it come to room temperature before you eat it. If you don't, the paste remains pretty firm and the flavors are incredibly muted. When it reaches room temperature, you will see that the paste is pretty gooey, not oozing like Bries or other soft ripened cheeses tend to, but squishy.
When you taste a bite of Camembert, you may surprised that it is not as buttery as its Brie counterpart. The flavors of the Camembert fall more into the umami category with creamy mushroom flavors. It is for this reason that I like to incorporate Camembert more in my cooking because it just has more flavor! The rind on this cheese is completely edible and has flavors of barnyard and earth. Sometimes I find the rind is a little too dry for my liking - there is no shame in not eating the rind! The consistency of the paste on the other hand reminds me of raw pizza dough. It's squishy yet it doesn't just dissolve away, you have to chew a bit. Also, don't be scared with a little color on the rind of Camembert, it is completely normal and just means there will be even more flavor. You can tell it has gone past its prime when you open up the container and get strong whiffs of ammonia that do not go away after letting it air out for about 20 minutes.
Herve Mons himself has recommended a nice Medoc with this cheese and his counterpart, Laure, recommends a nice, dry cider. I also like to have it with grapes or figs along with a light and refreshing Vouvray. Swing by your local Whole Foods Market to day and pick up some Herve Mons Camembert for yourself! It's a perfect treat for a warm day like today. Until next time, eat, drink and be happy!
Greetings, just bought a package and on my way home, my vehicle filled with a "foul oder", traced back to the bag with the cheese. When I arrived home I wrapped the package of cheese in cling wrap and placed in fridge, 20 minutes later when I opened the fridge door the oder was strong and the date says good til 2-7-17. What happened and does this cheese always have a raunchy oder? Now I am concerned about eating it, thanks in advance for your response.
ReplyDeleteHi Rick! That is absolutely normal with this cheese. Before you eat the cheese, be sure to unwrap it completely and let it air out for about 20 minutes. By wrapping it in cling wrap, the smell just gets trapped inside. Cheese needs to breathe and will last longer if it can do so. If you're going to store it for a couple days, take off the cling wrap, leave it in it's original package and put in your vegetable crisper (where there is humidity).
DeleteThe only smell that should be concerning is if it starts to smell like ammonia and the smell does not dissipate after being completely unwrapped and left out for about 20 minutes. That just means the cheese has gotten old.
Let me know how it goes!
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