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FOOD
Here to stay!
European cheeses have a special
place in our hearts and we feared
the worst when scientists recently
advised that two pillars of French
gastronomy were on the verge of
extinction. However, having checked
with farmers and dairy experts,
we can rest assured that Brie and
Camembert are here to stay.
Brie and Camembert owe their
white rind to a ferment called
Penicillium Camemberti. A scientific
report on the overuse of the
fungus led to concerns that white
rind cheeses were at risk from
disappearing for good. Fortunately,
for any cheese lover, this is not the
case. Thanks to the various strains
of the fungus used to make white
rind cheeses, there is no shortage
on the horizon and there is plenty
being stored for safe keeping in
laboratories around France, if strains
ever do deplete in the future.
Brie and Camembert are worldrenowned
bloomy rind cheeses.
According to a Harris Interactive
study (March 2021), Brie is by far the
best-known French cheese in the
UK, followed by Camembert. When it
comes to the biggest sellers in Britain
over the last 12 months, Brie is the
leading French cheese, with almost
half of Britons buying it, a third of
Brits have popped Camembert in
their shopping baskets.
Brie happy
Emperor Charlemagne is said to
have discovered Brie in the abbey of
Reuil-en-Brie as far back as 774. He
was so impressed by the cheese that
he asked for some to be sent to him
every year.
During the Congress of Vienna in
1815, Charles Maurice of Talleyrand
is said to have declared that Brie was
'the king of cheeses'. At the time, it
sparked a lively debate and it was
only after a tasting and vote among
other cheeses that it was crowned
as such. The village of Brie is about
28km from Paris and has long been a
region of cheese production.
There are many varieties of Brie.
These include Brie au Bleu (which
has veins of blue mould), Brie de
Meaux PDO, Brie Fermier, Brie de
Montereau, Brie de Melun PDO and
Brie Noir (an aged type). Brie is a
large soft cheese with cow milk with
a very flowery, downy, white and
relatively thick rind; the paste on the
interior is creamy next to the rind
and generally contains a chalky white
centre. It has a slightly salty taste,
with mushroom and milky notes. As
the cheese ages it develops stronger,
more complex flavours, with fruity,
earthy undertones.
Brie can be enjoyed with both
sweet and savoury accompaniments.
It is delicious with red grapes, honey
and nuts or on a baguette with
tomatoes and salad.
Crown jewel
Local legend states that Camembert
was invented by Marie Harel, a
French cheesemaker born in 1761.
She is said to have been helped by
a priest from Brie who had taken
refuge in her home during the
French Revolution.
The arrival of the railways
in 1850 made it possible for
Camembert cheese to reach Paris
and other majorFrench cities.
Marie Harel's grandson gave some
of his Camembert to the Emperor
Napoleon III, who liked it so much
that he took some back to the
Tuileries Palace. Forty years later, an
engineer called Ridet had the idea
of putting the cheese in a box made
from poplar wood, making it even
more travel-friendly.
This famous soft cheese has
become a symbol of French
gastronomy and can be made in
any region of France or indeed
anywhere in the world. It should not
be confused with Camembert de
Normandie AOP, which is of a higher
quality and can only be produced in
the Normandy region.
Camembert is a great ingredient
for cooking, for use in sauces,
soufflés, quiches or melted on toast.
For a comforting and simple sharer,
unwrap the cheese and place back
into its wooden box, place herbs,
thin slices of garlic into the rind and
drizzle with olive oil. Heat the cheese
in the oven until the centre becomes
soft and gooey and serve with
chunks of baguette, gherkins and a
green salad.
Photo credit: Virginie Ribaut
/ CNIEL (Centre National
Interprofessionnel de l'Economie
Laitière) an organisation recognised
by French and European public
authorities which seeks to promote the
economic development of the sector,
facilitate relations between producers
and processors and promote milk and
dairy products.