CHEESE NOTES

Camembert heads to court

Somewhat a moot issue for us sadly deprived Americans, who can’t even purchase a real Camembert on this side of the pond (not legally, in any case), but Reuters reports that the debate over name-control seems headed to court:

Small producers from the northwestern French region say industrialists are capitalizing on the artisan makers’ prized “Camembert of Normandy” label by using the similar “Camembert made in Normandy” phrase to designate their version of the round cow’s milk cheese.

While any cheesemaker around the world can print the word “Camembert” on their label, the “Camembert of Normandy” term is a form of European certification, or appellation d’origine protégée (AOP), reserved since 1983 for the few who follow traditional methods.

Purists use raw milk from Normandy cows and hand-ladle the cheese into molds. Industrialists are more likely to pasteurize their milk - or heat it to kill bacteria and render the curd easier to process - and procure their milk from all over, allowing for a lower-priced product.

I’d be inclined to agree with the purists. After all, American groceries are awash with cheeses calling themselves “Camembert”, despite the fact that they bear little  resemblance to the true “Camembert of Normandy” beyond a white rind and a soft yellow-y paste. Leave the name to the real thing, even if that means not having any “Camembert” on American shelves anymore.

Besides, you’ll be better off going with an American bloomy-rinded cheese like Jasper Hill’s Moses Sleeper (pictured below, courtesy of Formaggio Kitchen). 

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