Camembert cheese facts for kids
Camembert is a famous French soft cheese. It comes from a small village called Camembert in a region of France called Normandy. Since 1983, the special name Camembert de Normandie has been protected by a French law called AOC. This means only cheese made in a certain way and in a specific area can be called that.
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How Camembert Cheese Is Made
Camembert is made from cow's milk that has not been pasteurized. This means the milk hasn't been heated to kill germs. Special moulds, like Penicillium camemberti, are used to help the cheese ripen. This ripening process takes at least three weeks.
Camembert cheese is shaped into small, round pieces. Each piece weighs about 250 grams. After it's made, the cheese is wrapped in paper. Then, it's placed inside thin wooden boxes. These boxes help protect the cheese and keep it fresh.
What Camembert Is Like
When Camembert is first made, it is quite firm and can be a bit crumbly. But as it gets older, it changes a lot! It becomes much softer and more runny. The flavor also gets stronger and richer as it ripens.
You can use Camembert in many different meals. However, most people enjoy eating it uncooked. It's often served on bread, or with wine or meat. This way, you can really taste its special flavor and feel its smooth texture. Heating Camembert can change its unique taste and feel.
The History of Camembert
Many people believe that Camembert cheese was first made in 1791. A farmer named Marie Harel from Normandy is often given credit for inventing it.
However, the Camembert we know today really became popular later. This happened when cheese-making started to become more like a factory process in the late 1800s. In 1890, an engineer named M. Ridel invented the wooden box that Camembert is still sold in today. This box was a big deal! It made it possible to send the cheese much farther away. Because of the box, Camembert became very popular in America.
Before people fully understood fungi (like molds), the color of the Camembert rind was a bit random. It was often blue-grey with brown spots. From the early 1900s, the rind started to become more commonly pure white. By the mid-1970s, a pure white rind became the normal look for Camembert.
Camembert cheese became very famous during the First World War. French soldiers were given this cheese to eat. This helped make it a very important part of French culture. It appears in many French stories, books, and historical events. Today, Camembert is known all over the world. Many different types of Camembert are now made in various countries.
Some people say that the famous artist Salvador Dalí was inspired by Camembert. He created his well-known painting, The Persistence of Memory. The "melting" watches in his painting are said to have been inspired by seeing a piece of over-ripe, melting Camembert cheese.
In 1992, Camembert de Normandie was given a protected designation of origin. This happened after it first received its AOC status in 1983. This means its name and quality are officially protected.
Related Cheeses
- Brie, a similar soft cheese from a different region of France.
Images for kids
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Camembert cheese box
See also
In Spanish: Camembert (queso) para niños
