Camembert

France’s best-known cheese came originally from Normandy, especially the Pays d’Auge, but is now made throughout the country – as well as elsewhere – and accounts for almost a quarter of all French cheese manufacture. Production is predominantly factory-based using pasteurized cows’ milk to create the familiar small, round, soft, white-rind creamy cheese with a light fruity flavor. This commercial type, however, never quite matches the authentic Camembert fermier, hand-made on Normandy farms and using unpasteurized milk from local herds. At its best, Camembert has a smooth, supple rind and a voluptuous pale golden interior which when pressed should bulge, but not run. When buying, choose a cheese that is plump and yielding – and that fills its box; avoid ones that are hard, swollen or sunken, or smell bitter. (249)