Two French Icons in a World of Pasteurization and Palates: Brie and Camembert.
A Tale of Two Rinds
It begins with a bloom. Brie and Camembert, both soft-ripened cow’s milk cheeses, wear their snowy white rinds like velvet capes—wrinkled with wisdom, fragrant with earth. Yet while the two are often mistaken for twins, their origins and personalities diverge in delicate but meaningful ways. Brie hails from the Île-de-France, just east of Paris, known for its wide, flat wheels and gentle, buttery aroma. Camembert, born in the foggy pastures of Normandy, is smaller, funkier, and often more intense, thanks to its punchy mold culture and tighter aging process.
Pasteurization: A Compromise in Culture
In France, true Brie de Meaux and Camembert de Normandie are protected by AOC (Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée) status and remain unpasteurized, their flavor unfolding with bold, mushroomy complexity. In the U.S., however, pasteurization laws dictate a different experience—one of tamed wildness. Many American iterations lack the grassy nuance of their raw counterparts, though artisanal producers are experimenting with traditional techniques within legal bounds.
The Rind is the Rub
The bloomy rind, often a point of contention among new tasters, is where the magic lies. Penicillium camemberti (or Penicillium candidum) is the mold responsible for the rind’s development. It ripens the cheese from the outside in, transforming the interior from chalky and crumbly to lusciously runny over time.
Serving Suggestions: Room Temp Reverence
Whether it’s a sliver of Brie atop a warm baguette or a wedge of Camembert slowly collapsing on a cheese board, these cheeses demand patience and warmth—both literal and metaphorical. Let them sit. Let them breathe. They reward those who wait with flavor that is not just creamy, but existential.
