Description
Camembert is a soft cheese with a mold pasta or “brinata”, which is made by processing cow’s milk. This cheese, belongs just like the Brie and Caprice des Dieux, to those characterized by a very thin outer crust of white color, which aesthetically remind to a flowery meadow and this feature is achieved by using special molds that belong to the gene Penicilium and in this specific case “Penicillium camemberti“.
The earliest historical records documenting the appearance of this dairy product date back to the thirteenth century AD, and as shown us his name, we can place it in the village of Camembert, located in Normandy, in the north-west France. The types of this cheese on the market are different, and are produced both at national level, than in different parts of Europe, but the original Camembert is precisely that French. In Italy we produce this cheese, and the best known and appreciated is that of the Langhe.
Norman Camembert, made from raw milk, is certainly one of the most popular products within the French cheese, and over the years, namely in 1983, got the AOC label (Appellation of Origin), as well as PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) in 1992. The last such certificate is comparable to Italian DOP (Controlled Designation of Origin). In France, we have three types of Camembert, the first can be distinguished is the PDO of Normandy, which includes products made elsewhere and those of industrial type. These cheeses are made exclusively with raw milk processing, while for industrial products, is used pasteurized milk.
Chemical and nutritional values
For the realization of the Camembert, you should know that the process needs a fat content of 45% of the dry weight, and this weight it is very important, because it determines a specific nutritional quantity to be reckoned with. Despite this, we must also keep in mind that the Camembert cheese is a dairy food, very useful for certain aspects, which we will now describe.
1. Nutrition of proteins consist in a high biological value
2. Due to the high concentration of phosphorus and calcium is very important for the ossification
3. It promotes the sight and nourishes the skin, useful for combating free radicals, thanks to the high content of vitamin A and vitamin B2 or riboflavin
You have to consider that the high-calorie which is located in this cheese, totally excludes the use also sporadic in people who suffer from problems related to being overweight, while for the subjects in normal weight, the consumption must be sporadic and in minimal amounts. As for the presence of cholesterol, this occupies a prominent position, and its presence is mainly due to saturated fats, in fact even for this reason, the Camembert is not recommended in the diet for hypercholesterolemia. Like all cheeses, including Camembert, it has another amount of sodium, so as to avoid to those who suffer from high blood pressure.
Gastronomic applications and curiosities
Contrary to Brie cheese, Camembert, is tasted not only fresh to the table, but also used for the preparation of many recipes. Among the most famous recipes, there are the croquettes either fried or stuffed baked of this food, or the “choux” with fondue filling. As for the wine to match with Camembert, the wine Association of France, accompanies him with red wines with fruity flavors and texture dense, such as Burgundy or the Bordeaux, unlike in Italy, which favors the organoleptic characteristics and taste of the delicious Montepulciano, or of the Crema.
This food, when compared aesthetically with the Brie, is produced in a smaller size and this alters the ratio of the crust with pasta and also the type of seasoning, that in the cheese in question is much greater. All these features just described, the cheese give much more intense flavors and aromas. As regards the conservation, this must be done in the refrigerator, and its consumption within three days. A wrong conservation of Camembert cheese due to a high temperature or at an excessive time, gives the cheese ammonia hints.
According to some historical background, it would seem that the first Camembert cheese was produced way back in 1791 by an old Norman peasant, even if the spread and true of this food, is placed with the advent of industrialization and thus the production cycle at the end of the nineteenth century. Around 1890 it was built a wooden box to hold the cheese, so it can be transported abroad, where experienced great success in the United States of America.
