Camembert

The cheese

A Normandy emblem since 1791, when Marie Harel, a Camembert-village farmer, is said to have perfected the recipe, AOP Camembert de Normandie is an exceptional soft-ripened, bloomy-rind cheese. Made exclusively from raw Normande cow's milk, hand-moulded in five successive ladlings (a tradition preserved by the AOP), it ripens at least three weeks to develop its downy white rind and creamy golden-yellow centre. The nose offers button mushroom, straw, damp cellar and melted butter. On the palate: melting, powerful, with lactic and vegetal nuances and sometimes a touch of ammonia at full maturity. Serve at room temperature with a rustic baguette, a traditional Normandy cider or a well-aged Calvados.