How and with what to eat Camembert - a special kind of cheese on your table. Camembert recipe at home Camembert cheese with mold
Camembert is a French soft cheese with white mold, characterized by a very delicate, even fluid texture and a sweetish-creamy taste with a hint of mushroom. The crust of the cheese is edible, white, dense, sometimes with brown streaks.
Despite being a relatively young cheese (invented in 1791), Camembert is now one of the most famous and best-selling French cheeses.
The head of Camembert has the shape of a low cylinder with a diameter of 11 cm and a height of 3.5 cm. Traditionally, this cheese is supplied in round wooden boxes, which allows you to keep its delicate crust intact and not mash the cheese.
Characteristics of Camembert cheese
Name: Camembert
Country of origin: France
Type: soft, with white mold
Type of milk: whole unpasteurized cow's milk
Fat content: 45%
Texture: smooth, elastic, open, creamy, fluid, oily
Color: pale yellow
Crust: natural, white mold
Taste: creamy, milky, buttery, sweet, mushroom, spicy
Ripening period: 3-6 weeks
Camembert, like other cheeses with white mold, ripens in the direction from the crust to the center. At the same time, high-quality mature Camembert should have a fairly uniform consistency, softer and more fluid in the center and denser at the edges. If the core of the cheese is hard and the edges are fluid, this indicates that it has not ripened properly. By modern standards, the crust of Camembert should be an even white, but previously a gray-blue tint of the crust with red-brown streaks was allowed. The smell of Camembert mushroom, creamy. Overripe Camembert has a distinct smell of ammonia; it is not recommended to use such cheese.
The best Camembert in the world comes from Normandy. It is always stamped Camembert de Normandie Appelation d'Origine Controlee au Lait Cru (made from the finest, freshest milk that comes from strictly defined areas). Real Normandy Camembert is sold in wooden boxes with a diameter of 10-15 centimeters.
The production of Camembert is not limited to France alone: this cheese is now made in Germany, Italy, the USA, Brazil, Japan and other countries.
In our stores, you can most often find Camembert made from pasteurized milk. It is slightly cheaper in price.
What a real Camembert should look like
Weekly Camembert has a white and fluffy crust, and in the middle there is a layer of unsoftened cheese. Over time, the unripe layer inside the cheese disappears. By the fifth week, the splendor disappears and the crust acquires a reddish tint mixed with white. To the touch, this cheese is very soft, fatty and melts in the mouth like a cream with a slight smell of mold and a subtle, very special aroma. A well-ripened Camembert can be semi-liquid, and this one is even especially appreciated by gourmets.
How to store
During the ripening process, the constituents of the cheese change significantly. Camembert peaks after 4-5 weeks and is best eaten in the last days of the fifth week.
When buying Camembert, pay attention to the inscription "best before" and use it in the last five days of this period. It is important not to let the cheese overripe, otherwise the piquant moldy aroma will turn into a disgusting stench and the product will be spoiled. And it is absolutely impossible to use expired Camembert. Some people think that if the cheese is moldy, then it has nowhere to go bad. - This is not true! In expired cheese (however, as in any other product), all kinds of bacteria begin to multiply, which interfere with healthy digestion.
Rules for serving Camembert
Camembert is one of the most popular dessert cheeses. Here are some tips to help you truly enjoy its great taste.
Before serving Camembert, it is cleaned of mucus and kept for 2-3 hours at room temperature so that the flavor of the cheese is fully manifested. Then cut into pieces. Snack spoons are served with semi-liquid Camembert.
The head of Camembert is cut like a pie: into small portions-sectors.
To prevent the knife from sticking to the cheese when cutting, moisten it with hot water.
Usually Camembert is served with a crust, but some prefer to remove it and eat only the tender soft core. Specify the preferences of your guests in advance.
Camembert goes well with bread and weak red wine. It is important to follow the rule: cheese is washed down with wine, and not wine is eaten with cheese. Camembert goes well with any bread, but gourmets recommend serving it with crispbread or a cracker. According to the French, pear, grapes, nuts or apples can be a great addition to the taste of Camembert.
Camembert pairs well with dessert wines such as Pinot Noir, Beaujolais, Chardonnay….
In France, they like to dissolve pieces of Camembert or Brie without a crust in coffee with milk, getting a hearty and very tasty drink.
Camembert is perfect for a festive table, it can become a noticeable element of a combined cheese plate, but it can also be used in everyday cuisine, adding to soups and sauces.
Serve Camembert with crackers, walnuts or almonds, sweet berries or grapes on a cheese plate. Camembert goes well with fresh crispy French baguette, croissants. Camembert with honey or blueberry jam is also a very interesting combination.
"Father and Son": the differences between Brie and Camembert
Despite the apparent similarity, these two cheeses have the following differences:
Dough color: Brie has a creamy white dough, while Camembert has a pale yellow dough. Brie is the ancestor of Camembert, i.e. its history began much earlier;
Crust color: in Brie it is white with brown-red streaks and the smell of ammonia, in Camembert it is just white, velvety to the touch, with a mushroom smell;
Taste: Brie is more spicy with a hint of hazelnut, Camembert is sweeter and more delicate, mushroomy;
Circle size: Brie varies from 30 to 60 cm, 3-5 cm high, Camembert has a fixed 11 cm in diameter, 3 in height;
Production period: Brie is made throughout the year, Camembert is not cooked in the hot summer period;
The fat content of Brie is less than that of Camembert;
Genuine Camembert is always delivered in small boxes made of birch bark or tin, which allow it to be transported over long distances without damaging the delicate velor crust. Brie is not packed in wooden boxes.
Camembert is not only a very tasty cheese, but also healthy. It contains a lot of proteins and mineral salts, as well as lactic bacteria, which help to increase immunity.
Now Camembert is considered one of the symbols of France, along with the Eiffel Tower and the baguette.
CULINARY RECIPES WITH CAMEMBRE CHEESE
Delicate, creamy, with a pronounced mushroom note and covered with legends... The famous blue cheese is No. 1 on the list of preferences of many fans of this French product. In the company of good wine, Camembert feels great on the table and on its own, and if you add it to a salad, soup or dessert, then a real taste explosion happens! For true fans, we have found some great recipes for Camembert dishes.
Salad with camembert, figs and bacon
Ingredients for 2 servings:
2 large handfuls of salad mix, 30 g chopped walnuts, 3 figs, 6 slices of bacon (preferably smoked), a few cherry tomatoes, 1 tbsp. l. honey, 1 camembert head, 4 slices of bread (make toast beforehand), 1 cup flour, 2-3 eggs, breadcrumbs.
For dressing: 1 tbsp. l. mustard, 2 tbsp. l. wine vinegar, 5 tbsp. l. olive oil, 1 shallot, salt and pepper.
Cooking process:
First, prepare the dressing: mix mustard, olive oil, vinegar and chopped shallots. Salt, pepper to taste and refrigerate.
Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Place thin slices of bacon on a sheet of parchment paper and bake for about 10 minutes until golden brown.
Heat honey in a frying pan, add figs cut in half. Fry on each side for 2-3 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and let the figs cool.
Pour washed and dried greens into a salad plate, top with cherry tomatoes, bacon chips (crush the plates with culinary scissors) and figs, sprinkle with chopped walnuts.
Now the most important thing is cheese. Divide the camembert head into 8 pieces, dip each in flour, then in a beaten egg and breadcrumbs (or bread crumbs) and send it to a deep-fryer heated to 170 degrees. When the cheese turns golden, place it on a paper towel for a few seconds to remove excess fat, and then in a salad bowl. Add a chilled dressing - and hurry with a snack to the table.
Pie with camembert, pear and raisins
Ingredients for 4 servings:
2 camembert heads, 150 g flour, 50 g butter, 3 eggs, 200 g liquid cream, 1 lettuce, ¼ frisee lettuce, 20 g raisins, 100 g nuts, 1 pear, 1 green onion bunch, 1 shallot.
Cooking process:
Prepare a rim of dough. Knead 3/4 heads of camembert into a smooth mass, add flour and eggs to the cheese. Form the dough, roll it with a rolling pin to a thickness of 5 mm and wrap it around a round shape (you will get a dough ring). Bake on parchment paper for 15 minutes at 160 degrees. The oven must be preheated to the specified temperature.
Camembert paste: Mix the rest of the first head of cheese with chopped shallots and green onions, season with salt and pepper.
Cheese filling: Melt the second head of camembert until creamy, and then beat in a blender. Make sure that the mass is not too dense. Pour the cheese into the siphon and set aside for now (siphon will require 2 cans).
Cream of lettuce: Bring the cream to a boil, place the pre-washed and peeled onions in a saucepan. Boil over low heat for about 3 minutes. Remove from heat, grind thoroughly in a blender, season with salt and pepper, let cool.
Caramelized pear: Chop the nuts, cut the pear into small cubes (brunoise) and caramelize in a pan, add the washed and dried raisins.
Assembling the pie: Place the rim of the dough on a shallow plate, fill the middle with an even layer of camembert paste. The next layer is the airy cheese mass from the siphon. Sprinkle caramelized pear with nuts and raisins on top, garnish with lettuce leaves. The final touch is the addition of a creamy lettuce sauce.
Baked camembert with bacon and prunes
If you don’t have time to mess around in the kitchen for a long time, but you want something tasty and unusual with the addition of camembert, this recipe can be a real salvation. It is simple and will not be liked except by people who categorically cannot tolerate the smell and taste of prunes.
Ingredients for 4 servings:
1 head camembert, 4 slices smoked bacon, 4 pitted prunes.
Cooking process:
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. In a hot frying pan, fry the bacon until golden brown, remove the finished chips on a paper towel.
Divide the cheese head into 8 equal parts. Insert 1 strip of bacon and half a prunes into each slit. Place in the oven for 10 minutes and serve warm.
If there is very little time or there is no oven nearby, just sprinkle the cheese with chopped prunes and nuts. It will also be very tasty!
Mini Canele with Camembert
Ingredients for 4 servings: 1 camembert, 330 ml milk, 40 g butter, 3 yolks, 125 g flour, 1 bunch green onions, paprika.
Cooking process:
Preheat the oven to 220 degrees. Heat the milk (but do not bring to a boil) in a small saucepan, dissolve the butter in it. Remove the milk from the heat, add the egg yolks to it (be careful, the yolks may curdle - let the liquid cool slightly or introduce them in very small portions, stirring constantly), flour. Send 3/4 of the cheese, cut into small pieces, as well as chopped green onions here. Leave a couple of onion feathers to decorate the dish. Pour the batter into the canelé molds, leaving about 1cm to the edge. Bake for 20 minutes, then remove from the mold and let cool. Place a slice of cheese on top, sprinkle with chopped onion and paprika.
Rolls with Camembert
Ingredients for 4 servings: 1 camembert, 2 zucchini, 1 pepper, 1 tbsp. l. olive oil, 1 tbsp. l. sesame seeds.
Cooking process:
Cut the zucchini into thin slices. The easiest way to do this is with a paring knife. Drizzle with olive oil. Cut the pepper into strips equal in height to Camembert. Fry the zucchini strips until golden brown. Take them off on a paper towel. Cut the cheese head into 12 squares. Place a piece of pepper in the center of each. On the outside, wrap each cube of cheese with a slice of zucchini. Put the rolls on a dish, decorate with sesame seeds.
Fruit salad with Camembert
Ingredients:
1 circle of camembert, 0.5 pineapple, 1 kiwi, 1 orange, 1 pear, lettuce, corn, chicory.
For dressing: olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, liquid honey.
Cooking:
Do not take the camembert out of the refrigerator until you need it, otherwise it will not be possible to cut evenly. Rinse the lettuce leaves, dry them, tear them with your hands and put them on a plate. Place a mixture of diced fruits on top. Remove the zest from the lemon on a fine grater, squeeze the juice, mix them with olive oil and honey. Cut camembert into thin slices, place on top of fruit and pour dressing over salad just before serving.
Camembert with apples in dough
Ingredients for 4 servings:
1 circle of camembert - 125 or 250 g, 2 sheets of yeast-free puff pastry, 1-2 apples, 1 raw yolk
Cooking:
Preheat oven to 180ºC. Cut out 4 circles from the dough. Cut the cheese into 8 slices, peel the apples and seeds and cut into thin slices. Place 2 slices of cheese and a few apple slices on half of each circle. Lubricate the edges of the dough with yolk, carefully glue the edges to make semi-circular pies (chebureks). Bake on a paper-lined baking sheet for about 20 minutes.
Camembert cheese with canned peaches in dough
Wrap the cheese in pieces in puff pastry, brush with egg and bake until the dough is ready. Then put butter in a frying pan and heat canned, finely chopped peaches or apricots on it - whatever you have. At the end of the “frying” - red hot ground pepper (to taste, of course). And pour this sauce on pastries. Bananas can be used instead of peaches.
Deep-fried Camembert cheese (fried)
Fried camembert cheese flavored with a variety of jams is a great option for a romantic dinner or a casual snack. An exquisite European appetizer will delight your guests.
Ingredients:
Camembert - 125 g, Breadcrumbs - 5 tbsp, Vegetable oil (sunflower) - 4 tbsp, Wheat flour - 2 tbsp, Chicken egg - 1 pc.
Cooking method:
In order to cook fried camembert, it is necessary to cut the head of camembert cheese into 6-8 pieces (do not remove the cheese from the refrigerator before cooking, so that it is easier to cut). In a separate bowl, beat the egg with a fork or mixer until foamy. Dip Camembert on all sides, first in the egg, and then in flour and breadcrumbs. Repeat the process exactly one more time. Thus, a double crust is formed on the cheese. In a heated pan with vegetable sunflower oil, fry the cheese on all sides until golden brown. Serve the prepared appetizer immediately to the table with currant or cranberry jam.
Relatively recently, Camembert cheese made its way to the post-Soviet space behind the Iron Curtain. How to eat this product, so far, not everyone knows. No, it's not spoiled processed cheese. Mold and the characteristic smell of unwashed socks are an essential attribute of the delicacy. In this article, we will tell the fascinating story of the invention of Camembert, explain how to distinguish an authentic product from a surrogate that is made outside of France. We will also explain how this cheese is served, what it is served with and, most importantly, how it is eaten. Should I cut off the moldy crust and eat away the soft center, or bite like that? Is this product useful and does it have any contraindications? You will learn about all this from this article.
What is "Camembert" with mold
How to eat this we will tell later. For now, let's characterize it. Outwardly, "Camembert" is similar to another cheese - "Brie". Both of them are covered with snow-white mold. But "Brie" is produced in a triangular slice, and "Camembert" - in the form of a circle in a wooden box. High fat content and more pronounced taste are the main distinguishing features of our cheese. Already at room temperature, the middle of Camembert becomes like melted ice cream. By the way, it was this property that prompted Salvador Dali to create his masterpiece - “fluid hours”. French Camembert cheese from Normandy has a rich creamy taste with hints of mushrooms and eggs. Not everyone likes the aroma of a delicacy. However, the smell should not be pungent and ammonia-like - this is a sign that the cheese has gone bad. Real French "Camembert" is produced only in its natural form - creamy. Any variations on the theme "With garlic", "With mushrooms", "With bacon", etc., like processed cheese, are not allowed. Camembert should have a dense moldy crust and a soft center.
The history of cheese
During the French Revolution of 1791, a certain Norman peasant woman, Marie Arel, hid a persecuted priest from the province of Brie in her home. He taught her how to cook cheese the way they do at home. But not only wines have terroir. The cool, rainy climate of Normandy breeds very different herbs than those in the drier central region of France. And this directly affects the fat content of the milk that cows give. That is why the younger brother of Brie, who first received the name Normandy Cheese, came out completely different, although the same recipe was used in its manufacture. For nearly a century, it has been a modest regional product, Camembert cheese. How to eat it correctly, and what it is, gourmets from high society did not know. The name "Camembert" was given in 1863 by Napoleon III. Or rather, not him, but the master of ceremonies, who presented the delicacy as "cheese from the Norman village of Camembert." The emperor fell in love with the delicacy so much that a railway was laid in the province to deliver the product fresh to Paris.
How it is prepared
Cheese "Camembert" ... How to eat and serve a delicacy is a special topic. Just like its preparation. And they make it from fresh, that is, unpasteurized milk of cows grazed in the fat meadows of Normandy. It is first heated with special bacteria, rennet enzyme is added and left to ferment. After an hour and a half, the thickened curd is transferred into a cylindrical shape. Twice a day it is turned over so that the contents turn into a homogeneous mass. Then each circle is salted and sprinkled with the Penicillium camemberti fungus, which gives the cheese an amazing snow-white mold. After that, "Camembert" ripens from three weeks to a month.
Cheese "Camembert": how to eat and serve
Since this product is very fatty, it solidifies like butter in the refrigerator. But at the same time, its taste and aroma are not felt. You need to get the cheese out of the refrigerator ahead of time and cut the circle into portioned segments, like a cake. Then let the product come to room temperature. Before you eat "Camembert" with mold, set the table with fresh fruits and nuts. This cheese is considered dessert. You can put on the table and a vase with sour jam (cranberry, currant). "Camembert" is appropriate in the composition when less or more characteristic cheeses are served on the board along with it. Be sure to accompany the enjoyment with young red wines that have low tannins, cider or calvados.
"Camembert" as part of other dishes
We do not forget, however, that for a long time the product was not a parlor delicacy, but the usual food of the Norman peasants. They used Camembert cheese for various gastronomic purposes. How to eat this product - in its pure form or as part of pies or hot sandwiches - is up to you. Cheese melts easily, and therefore the first thing that came to the mind of the peasants was to make a kind of fondue out of it. Pieces of heated fresh, crispy baguette were dipped into the melted Camembert and ate like that. Try the Norman cheese “peasant style” too.
The benefits and harms of "Camembert"
This type of cheese contains choline, a substance that normalizes cholesterol levels and strengthens cell membranes. Camembert also contains sodium, and in large quantities, and potassium. These minerals prevent dehydration of the body, strengthen the cardiovascular system. Like any fermented milk product, Camembert is good for bones, hair, nails, and teeth. It also strengthens the nervous system. But one should also take into account the high fat content that Camembert cheese has. Contraindications to the consumption of this product can only be for those who are on a diet. Calorie "Camembert" - three hundred units per hundred grams.
Camembert. This is one of those cheese varieties that can be considered truly popular in France. Moreover, the specific rich smell of camembert inspired French writers and artists, leaving a noticeable mark on French literature and art.
It is mentioned in the works of such classics as Emile Zola, Marcel Proust. And the great Dali created on his canvas the famous image of “fluid hours” under the impression of Camembert cheese melting in the sun.
The surface of the creamy fatty cheese is hard: it is covered with a hard crust of mold.
Camembert. The history of tender cheese
The history of Camembert cheese is associated with the name of the Norman peasant woman Marie Arel.
According to legend, in 1791 she helped a monk from Brie who was threatened with the guillotine, as well as many members of the clergy who opposed the revolutionary changes that were then taking place in the country, escaped from persecutors.
Having received temporary shelter at the Marie Arel farm on the way to England, the monk, in gratitude, told the hardworking woman the secret of making Brie, a soft, tender cheese with a hard crust. According to sources, the name of the monk was Charles Jean Bonvoost.
It's no secret that one of the important "ingredients" of cheese is terroir - a complex of natural factors that affect the quality of the final product, including: the climatic features of the region, the quality of the soil, the vegetation that cows feed on. Neither the monk nor the peasant woman took this into account.
Since Normandy is located north of Ile-de-France (the region of Brie belongs to this region), the natural and climatic features are different here. In general, Marie Arel did not succeed in exactly copying the famous brie cheese, despite strict adherence to the recipe left by the monk.
But she invented a new kind of cheese, which today is considered to be the younger brother of brie. At first, it was called none other than Norman cheese. For centuries, the recipe for Camembert cheese (as it was later called) was improved by the Arel family, more and more adapting to local realities, until it took pride of place in French. This is the answer to the question: what is the difference between camembert and brie cheeses?
In 1863 Emperor Napoleon III tried the cheese from the village of Camembert and was pleased with the product.
After this event, the fame of Norman cheese spread throughout France, which forced the Arel family to urgently increase production and raised the question of how to transport the product while maintaining its valuable properties.
Initially, straw was used to transport cheese. Scientific and technological progress also made its contribution: the intensive construction of railways between Paris and the regions, which began in the second half of the 19th century, significantly accelerated the process of delivering goods.
Only six hours on the road - and Camembert was delivered to Paris by rail, while retaining its freshness and aroma due to the fact that it was wrapped in straw.
At that time, this was the maximum possible transport time for a delicate product; exporting it abroad was out of the question.
However, in 1890, the inventor Eugene Riedel developed special wooden boxes for this purpose, with the help of which the long-term transportation of cheese became possible. So the taste of Camembert became known in the New World.
Moreover, this gave a great field for the development of the marketing component: they began to put bright branded stickers on the cheese, by which the product was recognized all over the world.
camembert today
Camembert cheese is soft, with a creamy taste, covered with a thin hard crust, and on top with a soft "carpet" of mold.
Initially, the camembert was covered with a gray-bluish mold and literally strewn with brown spots.
But the development of microbiology made it possible to put cheese making on a scientific footing and thereby influence the aesthetic properties of the product. So, at the beginning of the 20th century, a kind of mold was bred - Penicillium camemberti - the value of which for cheese making was that it gives the cheese a characteristic snow-white crust.
Scientists have found that these fungi help to cure a number of diseases of the digestive system.
A few more facts: during the First World War, Camembert cheese was part of the mandatory rations of the soldiers of the French army.
In the 20th century, the recipe for making camembert became known all over the world. Local variations on the theme of delicate cream cheese appeared in America, Japan, Russia, etc. Moreover, not even a Frenchman can cook Camembert at home.
IN In 1928, a monument to Marie Arel was erected in her native village - Camembert, and in 1983 the legendary Normandy cheese was awarded an AOC certificate (mark of controlled origin), confirming that the product was produced in the specified territory in compliance with the requirements of a traditional recipe.
Camembert goes well with fruit and wine. We invite you to verify this by trying our branded ones.
We will tell you more about the recipe for making Camembert cheese in our next post.
They say that Salvador Dali created his famous “fluid clock” under the impression of Camembert cheese. By the way, this French delicacy has always been one of the favorite among bohemia. And thanks to the first president of the French Republic, Napoleon III, this cheese first became one of the favorites among the Parisians, and then won the love of the whole world. Some argue that Camembert even surpassed Brie in its popularity, to which, in fact, it owes its appearance.
Where did camembert come from
During the tumultuous times of the French Revolution, a monk fleeing the province of Brie found refuge in the home of a Norman peasant woman, Marie Arel. In order to somehow thank the woman for saving her, the monk taught her how to cook a unique cheese that is prepared only in his homeland. In fact, Marie Arel should have made the famous brie cheese. But it turned out that the Norman cows, because of the difference in climate and feed, are not the same as the Bree cows.
Therefore, Marie got a different cheese, only reminiscent of brie. But the taste of the new product turned out to be very personal. And the descendants of Marie for almost a century were engaged in cheese making according to the recipe received from the monks, until in 1863 this product came to the table of Napoleon III. It was he who fixed the official name for the cheese - Camembert (the name of the village where Marie Arel lived).
The cheese of the Arel family quickly conquered the hearts and stomachs of the Parisians. And now the descendants of Marie had to think not only how to prepare sufficient portions of the product to satisfy the needs of everyone, but also how to deliver this delicate product to the capital. At first, the heads of soft cheese were covered with a thick layer of straw and delivered to customers in this way. But at the end of the 19th century, it was decided to use special wooden boxes for transportation. By the way, real French cheeses are still transported in similar containers today.
But as for the mold, thanks to which Camembert is actually known, it was not always the same as modern gourmets know it. Today, Normandy cheese is protected by a crust with white mold. But such mold appeared on cheese only in the 20th century.
These are laboratory-bred Penicillium camemberti fungi.
And looking ahead, let's say that it is these fungi that make Camembert an incredibly healthy variety of cheese. And until the twentieth century, the cheese was covered with gray-blue mold with brownish spots.
What is camembert and how is it made?
Today, Camembert is a world-famous variety of fatty soft cheese with a rich flavor and buttery texture. As a rule, this cheese is formed into heads weighing 340 g, covered on the outside with a snow-white crust with cheese mold.
Inside, the product can be from a soft creamy shade to a rich brick color, but always with a pronounced smell of cheese mold. And the older the cheese, the more pronounced this smell. The correct camembert heads should be exactly 11.3 cm wide and 3.1 cm thick. To prepare 12 heads of cheese, 25 liters of milk are needed. But any milk for this product is not suitable - only selected unpasteurized, of the highest quality, from cows grazing on pastures with special herbs.
Ready camembert quickly loses its dense texture. After just a few minutes at room temperature, the flesh of the cheese spreads.
It is in this feature that the main difficulty in the production of the product lies. Therefore, it is usually made only in the cold months of the year (September-May).
And although real Camembert is made only in Normandy, cheese makers all over the world know the recipe for the legendary product and many try to cook this delicacy. Mesophilic bacteria and rennet are added to milk. After an hour and a half, whey and soft clots are formed in the vessel instead of milk, which are then transferred to cylinder molds and the whey is drained every 6 hours. Within a day, milk clots turn into a hard cheese mass, on which the fungus Penicillium camemberti is actually populated, and the resulting head is left to ripen. The maturation period of this product is not very long. After 12 days, it is already ready for use, although according to the rules it is advised to withstand at least 21 days. Camembert of the highest quality is already a product, the ripening period of which lasted 35 days. Finished heads are stored wrapped in paper in special wooden packages.
Real Camembert is a rare guest in the CIS countries, although there are good analogues made in Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Brazil, the USA, and Japan.
Effect on the body: benefits and harms
The fact that Camembert is good for health was first discussed at the beginning of the last century. In those days, one doctor used this kind of cheese in his medical practice. And what is most surprising, this product really helped his patients. And what is known today about the beneficial properties of this delicacy?
Studies have shown that the composition of Camembert cheese contains everything indispensable for humans, as well as a huge amount of vitamins (almost all of them) and minerals.
Turkish scientists have conducted serious research work on the impact of cheese mold on humans. It turned out that these substances are incredibly beneficial for the skin, as they protect it from sunburn. In addition, these fungi, as it turned out, are able to accumulate under the skin and stimulate the production of melanin.
Due to the calcium and phosphorus contained in the product, Camembert is valuable in the diet of people suffering from arthritis, arthrosis, as well as women during menopause. For the same reason, cheese is useful for children during a period of intensive growth. This product is important to include in the diet after a bone fracture.
The benefits of camembert for teeth and gums have also been confirmed. In particular, minerals contribute to the strengthening of enamel, and mold fungi, as shown by the results of experiments, are useful for the prevention and treatment of caries. And this kind of cheese is also useful for people with severe physical or mental stress, weakened by serious diseases, including tuberculosis, cancer or AIDS.
Despite the fact that the main component for making cheese is milk, this product contains almost no, which is the cause of allergies and intolerance to dairy foods. But still, people who are prone to reactions to milk should not get very carried away with cheese, besides, it is a very high-calorie product. You should also limit the consumption of fatty cheese for people with elevated, obese, hypertensive patients. The recommended daily allowance is considered to be 50 g of cheese.
| 300 kcal | |
| 19.8 g | |
| 0.46 g | |
| 24.26 g | |
| 51.8 g | |
| 240 mcg | |
| 0.03 mg | |
| 0.48 mg | |
| 0.63 mg | |
| 15.4 mg | |
| 1.36 mg | |
| 0.23 mg | |
| 62 mcg | |
| 1.3 mcg | |
| 0.4 µg | |
| 0.21 mg | |
| 2 mcg | |
| 842 mg | |
| 187 mg | |
| 20 mg | |
| 388 mg | |
| 347 mg | |
| 0.33 mg | |
| 21 mcg | |
| 38 mcg | |
| 2.38 mg | |
| 14.5 mcg |
What is the difference between Camembert and Brie?
Brie and Camembert look almost the same, they are served the same way, they are even made in the same way. But still, for some reason, both products are called differently. And this seems illogical to many.
But if you look, the difference between these cheeses becomes obvious.
The first difference is home. Brie is considered the traditional cheese of the Île-de-France region, while Camembert was born in Normandy.
The second is fat. Brie is a fatter cheese with a more creamy texture. And all because a little sour cream is added to brie during the production process.
The third is the size of the cheese head. If the head of real Camembert by standards hardly exceeds 11 cm, then the head of brie cheese can be from 22 to 40 cm in diameter. True, some manufacturers have begun to make small heads of brie.
Fourth, taste. It is believed that the taste of both cheeses is very similar, but cheese gourmets still catch the difference.
Brie tastes more delicate and buttery, while Camembert has a deeper, slightly earthier flavor and a sharper aroma.
Fifth is age. It is believed that the brie recipe has been known to mankind since the 8th century, while Camembert was first prepared by Marie Arel only in the 17th century.
How to cook at home
Making camembert at home is almost the same as industrial production. To do this, add 1 ml of rennet to 9 liters of milk (warmed up to 27 degrees) and leave for a while, not forgetting to stir.
Take out the clot that appears after about 2 hours, put it in a mold and leave it to drain overnight.
By morning, about a third of the lump should remain. From fresh milk, prepare another clot and put it on top of yesterday's. Again, leave to glass excess liquid. When the cheese, laid out in a mold, becomes sufficiently dense (usually the next day), it is turned over.
When the camembert breast is so dry that it begins to lag behind the walls of the mold, the cheese is well salted, laid out on a shelf and turned over 2 times a day.
The product is left in a room with low humidity and a temperature of about 13 degrees until mold forms, then transferred to the basement, where the temperature does not exceed 10 degrees Celsius, and the humidity index is quite high.
By the way, in the process of ripening homemade Camembert, the color of the mold changes from white to gray-blue and even red-brown.
And this indicates the correctness of the process. The firm, dense core speaks of the maturity of the product. If there is liquid under the crust, the product was cooked incorrectly.
By the way, to make homemade cheese with white mold, a special fungus can be taken from a piece of purchased Camembert. The fungus is added to the raw material before rennet coagulation.
Gastronomic characteristics
Today, probably, no one can say with certainty what the very first Camembert prepared by Marie Arel tasted like. But the fact that his taste was different from the modern one, of course. But gourmets appreciate the taste and aroma of modern cheese very highly.
Cheese connoisseurs say that the taste of a Camembert slice is something between milk, mushrooms, eggs, nuts, herbs and fruits, and the product itself belongs to the group of sharp savory cheeses. It gets its specific smell from mold.
If the head drives off with ammonia, this is a sure sign of overripe cheese.
How to serve, with what to combine
The fact that Normandy cheese has a soft, fluid texture baffles many. How to serve camembert? - people ask when they encounter serving this product for the first time.
It is traditionally served in a moldy crust, and before serving, the head of cheese must lie in the refrigerator. With the help of a cheese knife, the head is cut into portions and served with a slightly melted core.
Pairs well with fruits, nuts and herbs. And from drinks, young wine is ideal for this cheese - pink or white, cider and.
The French traditionally eat it with warm baguettes, add it to traditional gourmet desserts, sauces and soups, and the Italians - to pizza. In addition, this product is excellent as a filling for pies. A delicious and original dish is baked Camembert.
By the way, you can bake this product in different ways. Some people wrap the cheese in puff pastry and send it to the oven in this form. The finished dish is served with berry sauce. Others prefer to cut the top before baking and add herbs, garlic and lemon zest under it, or season with cheese and nuts. Another culinary idea is to coat pieces of cheese in breadcrumbs and deep fry.
Camembert is one of the most common soft French cheeses in the world. Its history begins at the end of the 17th century. It is recognizable by its natural tender crust, covered with a special food-grade white mold without a strong odor. This type of cheese is characterized by a round shape. It provides uniform radial maturation from a soft stretchy middle to hard edges. Gourmets prefer Camembert to a neutral rosé or white wine that doesn't compete with the voluminous flavor of the cheese. When it comes to cooking, Camembert is inextricably linked to many exquisite recipes in French cuisine. It is added to salads, soups, sauces, pastries, desserts and, of course, served in its natural form with Provence herbs.
Camembert cheese continues to mature throughout its shelf life, while changing its structure, taste and aroma.
Watch how real cheeses ripen: the process takes place gradually already in the package from the edges to the core of the cheese. They do not contain chemical substitutes, preservatives and harmful additives. Shelf life is only 45 days.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS:
Mass fraction of fat in terms of dry matter - 45.0%
Ingredients: pasteurized milk, cream, edible salt, using starter (mesophilic and thermophilic lactic acid microorganisms), white mold culture, milk-clotting enzyme preparation of microbial origin, calcium chloride sealant.
Shelf life: 45 days from the date of production, subject to storage conditions. After opening the package, consume within 24 hours.
Storage conditions: storage temperature from 0°С to +6°С and relative air humidity from 80% to 85% inclusive (including after opening the package).
Nutritional value of 100 g of the product: fats - 18.0 g; proteins - 16.5 g.
Energy value of 100 g of the product: 954.0 kJ / 228.0 kcal.
TU 9225-012-61835428-2015
Manufacturer: Mega-Master LLC,
442147, Russia, Penza region, Nizhnelomovsky district, s. Virga, st. Lesnaya, 5
Distributor/Authorized Organization: IMEKS LLC, 121170, Moscow, Kutuzovsky Prospekt, 36, building 10.
Telephone for consumers, in case of claims: 8 495 580 7308
YOUNG CHEESE
First two weeks- the youth of the cheese. A firm white core, a velvety white rind and a small amount of cream just below the surface. The aroma and taste of the cheese is delicate, mushroomy. This is the taste most Russian cheese lovers are accustomed to.
MATURE CHEESE
Third and fourth weeks- the maturity of the cheese. This is the time for an incredibly delicate creamy component. The shell is gaining hardness, and the middle melts in the process of maturation. The surface of the cheese acquires a milky hue, and the taste and aroma become creamy and spicy. An ideal choice for those who are accustomed to classic cuisine and want new sensations.
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