Bella Adams
Camembert is a type of soft, fatty cheese made from cow’s milk. The milk used to make the cheese must be of the highest quality, and for this purpose, cows are grazed on special pastures. The color of the finished product can range from light cream to a dark, brick-like hue, and its aroma resembles the smell of cheese mold, the intensity of which is proportional to the period of aging.
The heads of cheese are 3.1 cm thick, 11.3 cm wide, and weigh 340 grams; on the outside, Camembert is covered with a fluffy white crust formed by a special cheese mold of the Penicillium camembert or Penicillium candidum species. The taste of Camembert is sharp, and rather spicy, with a pronounced mushroom note. From 25 liters of milk, you can get 12 of these cheeses.
How Camembert is made
It is difficult to produce Camembert in hot weather, and therefore Camembert is usually made between September and May. The milk comes unpasteurized into 27-liter buckets with lids. The best cheese is obtained from two portions – half of the clot is placed in the molds in the evening, and the other half the next morning. 0.5 ml of rennet is added to 4.5 liters of milk at 27°C. Curdling occurs after 2 hours and the milk should be stirred periodically, preventing cream from settling.
The curd is poured into metal molds set on straw mats on an inclined drying board. The cheese is left overnight, and by morning it shrinks to about 2/3 of its original size. In the morning, the whole process is repeated, but the surface of the old clot in the molds is carefully disturbed before pouring the new clot. A day after the second clot is added, the cheese should be hard enough to turn over.
When the clot comes away from the side walls of the mold, it is salted. Then the cheese is placed on shelves and turned twice a day. When the development of a good white mold is clearly visible, the cheese is transferred to a drying room where the temperature and humidity can be regulated. The optimum temperature is 13 ° C and the air is only slightly humid. Under favorable conditions, mold growth is rapid and very soon the surface of the white mold turns blue so that the cheese has a bluish-gray appearance. If the air is too dry, other molds of dark green or black color can form. The cheese is then transferred to another basement room with a temperature of about 10 ° C and high humidity. Under these conditions, the growth of the mold slows down significantly, and the mold itself becomes reddish-brown in color. Now the cheese becomes viscous and is considered ripe.
The product is transported in light wooden crates or packed in straw with six kinds of cheese at once. Camembert must be sold quickly because it does not keep well.
Nutritional value of camembert
Composition of camembert (per 100 g):
- Water – 51.8 g.
- Proteins – 19.8 g.
- Fats – 24.26 g.
- Carbohydrates – 0.46 g.
Vitamins in camembert:
- Vitamin A (retinol) – 240 mcg.
- Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) – 0.488 mg.
- Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) – 1.364 mg.
- Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) – 0.227 mg.
- Folic acid (vitamin B9) – 62 mcg.
- Vitamin B12 (cyanocobalamin) – 1.3 mcg.
- Vitamin D (calciferol) – 0.4 mcg.
- Vitamin K – 2 mcg.
- Choline (vitamin B4) – 15.4 mg.
Macronutrients in camembert:
- Potassium – 187 mg.
- Calcium – 388 mg.
- Magnesium – 20 mg.
- Sodium – 842 mg.
- Phosphorus – 347 mg.
Trace elements in camembert:
- Iron – 0.33 mg.
- Manganese – 38 mcg.
- Copper – 21 mcg.
- Zinc – 2.38 mg.
- Selenium – 14.5 mcg.
Calorie content of camembert: 100 g on average contains about 300 kcal.
Is it harmful to eat cheese with mold?
When making Camembert, technologists use the mushroom Renicilium Sandidum. This is a mushroom from the genus of those used to make the antibiotic penicillin. Hence the concern of many cheese lovers – isn’t it harmful to eat cheese with mold?
It’s all about quantity. The amount of antibiotic produced by Renicilium Sandidum in cheese is many times less than the amount of antibiotic in medicines. Therefore, if you do not eat whole heads of Camembert every day, you are not at risk of dysbiosis.
In addition, Camembert is not eaten by the head. This cheese is a delicacy, usually eaten in small quantities with certain foods and drinks that help to fully reveal its delicate taste.
Camembert mold helps to absorb calcium. Few people know that calcium is best absorbed by the body in the vicinity of mold. Camembert is also rich in protein. Even eggs and fish are inferior to it in this regard.
Recent studies have shown that regular consumption of cheeses with mold improves the formation of melanin, which protects the skin from sunlight.
It is completely digestible, contains eight essential amino acids and a large number of vitamins, and is even able to counteract tooth decay.
Camembert is recommended for those who are engaged in heavy physical or mental labor, in case of serious diseases accompanied by exhaustion, such as tuberculosis, oncological diseases, and AIDS.
This cheese contains a record amount of calcium and phosphorus in its composition, so it is useful for osteoarthritis, arthritis, fractures, and during the period of intensive skeletal bone formation.
In addition, Camembert contains almost no lactose, which is often the cause of severe allergic reactions, so this cheese can be included in the diet of those who cannot tolerate regular milk and dairy products.
How to serve Camembert cheese correctly
It is traditionally served in a moldy crust, and before that, a head of cheese must be kept in the refrigerator.
It goes well with fruits, nuts, and herbs. As for drinks, young wine – pink or white, cider, and calvados – are ideal for this cheese.
The French traditionally eat it with warm baguettes, add it to traditional gourmet desserts, sauces, and soups, and the Italians add it to pizza. In addition, this product is great as a filling for pies. Baked camembert is a delicious and original dish.
By the way, you can bake this product in different ways. Some people wrap the cheese in puff pastry and put it in the oven in this form. The finished dish is served with berry sauce. Others prefer to cut the top before baking and add spicy herbs, garlic, and lemon zest under it or season the cottage cheese with honey and nuts. Another culinary idea is to roll the pieces of cheese in breadcrumbs and deep-fry.
