Cheese "Camembert": how to eat French delicacy correctly
More recently, the post-Sovietspace broke through the "Iron Curtain" cheese "Camembert." How to properly eat this product, so far not everyone knows. No, it's not spoiled fused cheese. Mold and the characteristic smell of long-worn socks are an essential attribute of the delicacy. In this article we will tell the fascinating history of the invention of Camembert, explain how to distinguish an authentic product from the surrogate that is produced outside of France. We will also explain how to serve this cheese, what is served and, most importantly, how it is eaten. Do I need to cut off the moldy crust and eat out the soft center, or should I bite it like this? Is this product useful and does it have any contraindications? You will learn all this from this article.
What is camembert with mold
How to eat this kind of cheese, we will telllater. In the meantime, we will characterize him. Outwardly "Camembert" is similar to another cheese - "Bree". Both are covered with snow-white mold. But "Bree" is produced in a triangular lobule, and "Camembert" - in the form of a mug in a wooden box. High fat content and more pronounced taste are the main distinctive features of our cheese. Already at room temperature, the middle of the Camembert becomes like a melted ice cream. By the way, it is this property that has pushed Salvador Dali to create his masterpiece - "fluid hours". French cheese "Camembert" originally from Normandy has a rich creamy taste with shades of mushrooms and eggs. The aroma of delicacy is not liked by everyone. However, the smell should not be sharp and giving off ammonia - this is a sign that the cheese has deteriorated. The real French "Camembert" is produced only in kind - creamy. Any variations on the theme "With garlic", "With mushrooms", "With bacon", etc., like fused cheese, are not allowed. The Camembert should have a dense mold crust and a soft center.
History of the origin of cheese
During the French Revolution of 1791, a certainNorman farmer Marie Harel hid in her home a persecuted priest, originally from the province of Bree. He taught her how to make cheese the way she does at home. But the terroir has not only wine. The cool, rainy climate of Normandy breeds quite different grasses than in the drier central region of France. And this directly affects the fat content of milk, which gives the cow. That is why the younger brother "Bree", which was given the name "Normand cheese", came out completely different, although the same recipe was used in its manufacture. For almost a century it was a modest regional product - Camembert cheese. How to eat it properly, and what it is, gourmets from the higher world did not know. The name "Camembert" was given in 1863 by Napoleon III. Rather, not him, but a ceremonial master who presented a treat as "cheese from the Norman village of Camembert." The emperor loved the delicacy so much that a railroad was laid in the province to bring the product to Paris fresh.
How it is cooked
Camembert cheese ... How to eat and serve delicacy is a special topic. As well as its preparation. And they make it from fresh, that is unpasteurized milk of cows grazed on the cornfields of Normandy. It is first heated with special bacteria, the enzyme of the abomasum is added and left to ferment. After an hour and a half the thickened curd is moved into a cylindrical shape. Twice a day it is turned over so that the contents turn into a homogeneous mass. Then each circle is salted and sprinkled with Penicillium camemberti, which gives the cheese an amazing white powdery mildew. After that, Camembert ripens from three weeks to a month.
Cheese Camembert: how to eat and serve properly
Because this product is very greasy, init freezes like a refrigerator. But this does not feel its taste and aroma. You need to get the cheese out of the fridge beforehand and cut the circle into portions like a cake. Then let the product reach room temperature. Before you eat camembert with mold, serve the table with fresh fruits, nuts. This cheese is considered dessert. You can put on the table and a vase with a sour jam (cranberry, currant). "Camembert" is appropriate in the composition of a cheese plate, when together with it on the board are served less or more characteristic cheeses. Be sure to accompany the enjoyment of young red wines that have low tannins, cider or calvados.
Camembert in other dishes
Do not forget however, that for a long time the product wasnot salon delicacy, but the usual food of Norman peasants. They used for various gastronomic purposes the Camembert cheese. As it is this product - in its pure form or as part of pies or hot sandwiches - it's up to you. Cheese is easily melted, and therefore the first thing that came to the minds of peasants is to make from it a kind of fondue. The melted "Camembert" was lowered pieces of warmed fresh, crispy baguette and so ate. Try and you Norman cheese "in a peasant" way.
The benefits and harm of Camembert
This kind of cheese contains choline - a substance,normalizing cholesterol level and strengthening cell membranes. In the "Camembert" also has sodium, and in large quantities, and potassium. These minerals prevent dehydration of the body, strengthen the cardiovascular system. Like any fermented milk product, Camembert is useful for bones, hair, nails, teeth. It also strengthens the nervous system. But we should also take into account the high fat content of the Camembert cheese. Contraindications to the consumption of this product may be unless those who are on a diet. Caloric content of "Camembert" - three hundred units per hundred grams.
