The camembert of Normandy is more than a simple cheese !

The camembert of Normandy is more than a simple cheese: it has become one of the symbols of French gastronomy. Strong on the palate, woody, fruity, tender, soft... for more than two centuries, the small round cheese has been part of the psyche of an entire people and it doesn't go too far to say that it is part of the national heritage. The Controlled Designation of Origin (French AOC), obtained in 1983, has made it that this cheese can only be manufactured on its original Norman territory, following the tradition of using unpasteurised milk and moulding it with a ladle. 

All of these characteristics that link it to its historical roots, as well as many other particularities in the manufacturing process, work together to create a cheese that can be described as a symphony of unrivalled flavours. Creamy with a light bitterness, and a taste on the palate that intensifies as it ages, it is chosen for its light yellow interior; tender to the touch, it is neither too soft nor too firm. Thirty days before its use before date, the camembert is still young, presenting a chalky white centre that is still rather firm. With time it grows softer and, ten days before its best before date, more creamy and flowing, and very fragrant. Since the 1890s, it has been packaged in small boxes made of poplar wood.