Brie & Camembert Cheeses

Ask anyone about French cheeses, and sooner or later (probably sooner) Brie and Camembert will come up in the conversation. Both are bloomy-rinded, aged (though not for very long) semisoft fromages, with reputations for being among the crown jewels of French cheeses. The differences between the two can be subtle, especially to an untrained palate, but this is not remarkable when you consider that Brie and Camembert are made from the same exact recipe, a fact unknown to many. The variations in the two come about from their sizes and their different terroirs, a French word meaning something akin to sense of place. Often used in wine terminology, terroir accounts for the characteristics a particular geographic region imparts to a food, be it coffee, wine or cheese. But lets take a closer look.

Origin Of Brie
Brie - is a soft cows cheese named after Brie, the French province in which it originated (roughly corresponding to the modern Brie dpartement of Seine-et-Marne). It is pale in colour with a slight greyish tinge under crusty white mould; very soft and savoury with a hint of ammonia. The whitish mouldy rind is typically eaten, the flavor quality of which depends largely upon the ingredients used and its fabrication environment.

Production
Brie may be produced from whole or semi-skimmed milk. The curd is obtained by adding rennet to raw milk and heating it to a maximum temperature of 37 C (98.6 F). The cheese is then cast into molds, sometimes with a traditional perforated ladle called a "pelle brie". The 20 cm mould is filled with several thin layers of cheese and drained for approximately 18 hours. The cheese is then taken out of the molds, salted, inoculated with cheese mould (Penicillium candidum or Penicillium camemberti) and/or Brevibacterium linens, and aged in a cellar for at least four to five weeks.
Country of origin France Region, town Source of milk Pasteurised Texture Aging time Seine-et-Marne Cows By law in the US and Australia, not in most of Europe Soft-ripened generally one week or more AOC, 1980, Certification for both Brie de Meaux and Brie de Melun

If left to mature for longer, typically several months to a year, the cheese becomes stronger in flavour and taste, the pt drier and darker, and the rind also darker and crumbly, and is called Brie Noir (Fr: black Brie). Over-ripe Brie contains an unpleasant, excessive amount of ammonia, which is produced by the same microorganisms required for ripening. The process used to make Brie is unsurprisingly very similar to that used for Camembert, but Brie is made in larger wheels, ranging from about 1 to 6 pounds (500g to 3kg) in weight, 9 to 15 inches in diameter and 1 to 1.5 inches in thickness, although it also can be found in 8-ounce disks.

Varieties
Brie de Melun There are now many varieties of Brie made all over the world, including plain Brie, herbed
2

varieties, double and triple Brie and versions of Brie made with other types of milk. Despite the variety of Bries, the French Atlantic government officially certifies only two types of Brie to be sold under that name: Brie de Meaux and Brie de Melun. The Brie de Meaux, manufactured outside of Paris since the 8th century, was originally known as the "King's Cheese" (later, following the French Revolution, the "King of Cheeses"), and is produced primarily in the eastern part of the Parisian basin.

Serving
Brie is usually purchased either in a full wheel or as a wheel segment. Slices are taken along the radius of the cheese rather than across the point. Brie, one of the great dessert cheeses, comes as
either a 1 or 2 kilogram wheel and is packed in a wooden box. In order to enjoy the taste fully, Brie must be served at room temperature.

Pictures

Brie Cheese calls for the right wine pairing

Origin Of Camembert
Camembert - is a soft, creamy, surfaceripened cow's milk cheese. It was first made in the late 18th century in Normandy in northern France.

Camembert

Production
The first Camembert was made from unpasteurised milk, and the AOC variety "Camembert de Normandie" is still required by law to be made only with unpasteurised milk. Many modern cheesemakers, however, use pasteurized milk for reasons of safety, compliance with regulations, or convenience.

Country of origin France Region, town Normandy, Camembert

Cows Source of milk The cheese is made by inoculating warmed milk with mesophilic bacteria, Not traditionally Pasteurised then adding rennet and allowing the mixture to coagulate. The curd is then Soft-ripened Texture cut into roughly 1 cm cubes, salted, and at least three weeks Aging time transferred to Camembert moulds. The moulds are turned every six to twelve Camembert de Normandie AOC 1983, hours to allow the whey to drain evenly Certification PDO 1992 from the cut curds; after 48 hours, each mould contains a flat, cylindrical, solid cheese mass weighing approximately 350 grams. At this point the fresh cheese is hard and crumbly.

The surface of each cheese is then sprayed with an aqueous suspension of the moulds Penicillium candidum and Penicillium camemberti and the cheeses are left to ripen for at least three weeks. The ripening process produces the distinctive rind and creamy interior texture characteristic of the cheese. Once the cheeses are sufficiently ripe, they are wrapped in paper and may be placed in wooden boxes for transport. Camembert can be used in many dishes, but is also popularly eaten uncooked on bread or with wine or meat, as the subtle flavour and texture does not survive heating. It is usually served at room temperature and has a flavor reminiscent of butter.

Camembert of Normandy

History
Camembert was reputedly invented in 1791 by Marie Harel, a farmer from Normandy, thanks to advice from a priest who came from Brie. However, the origin of the cheese known today as Camembert is more likely to rest with the beginnings of the industrialization of the cheesemaking process at the end of the 19th century. In 1890, an engineer, M. Ridel invented the wooden box which was used to carry the cheese and helped to send it for longer distances, in particular to America where it became very popular. These boxes are still used today. Before fungi were properly understood, the colour of Camembert rind was a matter of chance, most commonly blue-grey, with brown spots. From the early 20th century onwards, the rind has been more commonly pure white, but it was not until the mid-1970s that pure white became standard. The cheese was famously issued to French troops during World War I, becoming firmly fixed in French popular culture as a result. It has many other roles in French culture, literature and history. It is now internationally known, and many local varieties are made around the world.

Camembert cheese box

Pictures
Creamy Rich Homemade Camembert Cheese

Enjoying Your Cheese

Once a wheel of Brie or Camembert is cut, most sources agree that the cheese wont age any further. Although we usually fail to recognize this, cutting a wheel of cheese for the first time is a significant event in the cheeses life. When the integrity of the rind or skin is challenged, through cutting a cheese or, in the case of a person, a wound, the integrity of the interior of the cheese (or person) is also challenged. Brie and Camembert are, as might be expected, highly perishable, especially once theyre cut into. Store them in the refrigerator, but take them out a short while before you need them, if youre not cooking with them. For a cheese board or cheese course, you want to serve Brie (or Camembert) with the chill off, as both will have much more flavor and better texture if theyre at cool room temperature. Neither cheese is a long keeper, even with refrigeration. Raw milk Brie or Camembert may have a lifespan of only two or three days. Even the pasteurized examples of these cheeses need to be consumed with some speed; one website from which you can order both suggests consumption within seven days of receipt. How about flavor? Brie and Camembert are not for dieters; both are high fat cheeses, which is part of what makes them taste good (fat is a major carrier of flavor). Raw milk Brie or Camembert as simultaneously fried-eggy, garlicky, nutty, truffle-like, and mushroomy and adds that both will melt on your tongue with a sensuous feel that factory-made cheeses cannot hope to replicate. A mushroomy taste and notes that he detects almost a hay-like hint in the taste of both cheeses.
If you like to pair your cheeses with wine, Camembert and Brie are traditionally served with reds, although there is some disagreement about the type of red for the type of cheese. Steven Jenkins believes that Brie calls for a big red wine but prefers to match Camembert with a Gamay or Pinot Noir. Other sources are less specific, claiming that either cheese is a fine partner to almost any red, including Cabernets or Zinfandels. For more festive occasions, Ive seen Camembert matched with a good Champagne. Of course, serving these cheeses with wine isnt a must; they can be enjoyed in their own right, by themselves or with good fruits of the season. Brie and apples: a delicious combination.

Although Id like to suggest a field trip to France for any of you interested in discovering more about genuine Brie and Camembert, I understand that budgetary and time constraints may be problematic in such an endeavor. In a case like this, a knowledgeable cheese retailer can truly be your best guide. Given that real Camembert is unavailable in the US and that the pasteurized substitutes are bland indeed, someone with experience in cheese might be able to suggest a tastier alternative. Again, if youre looking for Brie, ask questions. By all means taste the cheese if possible. And dont be afraid to go elsewhere if you need to. You deserve the best in cheese, whether its a new variety, or, like the cheeses discussed above, a true classic.