Do you know that the words brie and camembert encompass more than a hundred cheeses! What distinguishes these two cheeses from other soft cheeses is the bloomy rind (an immaculate white rind). The size of camembert is usually smaller (11 cm) than that of brie (25-35 cm). In terms of flavour, camembert tastes more like mushroom, and brie is buttery and smoother.

The origin of brie is still unknown. Popular belief would attribute it to Io, the beloved of Zeus, who gave birth to cows whose milk was used for the production of brie. The history of brie cheese is closely linked to the history of France. Charlemagne (747-814 AD), the great king, love it. This was the beginning of its popularity.

Camembert is much more recent. It is the favorite and the most consumed cheese in France.

But do you know that it is to a woman, Marie Harel, that we owe this flagship of French gastronomy?

Let me tell you her story!

The birth of camembert is credited with the legend of a meeting between a Norman farmer, Marie Harel, and a refractory priest, Father Charles-Jean Bonvoust, in 1791, in the midst of the French revolution.

More precisely, Abbé Bonvoust gave the secret of making brie to Marie in exchange for her help in fleeing the Republicans. The abbot advised Marie, who has been producing the classic fresh cheese, to drain, salt and dry on wooden planks. In a few days, the cheese was covered with the pretty bloomy rind as we know today!

The cheese made with this method looked like a miniature version of brie. Marie Harel transmitted this new tradition to her daughter and her son-in-law who decided to sell the cheese on the farmers’ markets of Argentan and Caen.

Thanks to the inauguration of the railway, camembert was no longer a local delicacy and became a national icon. The grandson of Marie Harel, had his camembert tasted by the Emperor Napoleon III at a train stop in the Pays d'Auge. The Emperor found it so good that he decided to bring it back to the Tuileries Palace, in Paris.

In 1890, a century after its legendary birth, the camembert continued on its way to the rest of the world. Eugène Redel invented its poplar wood box, allowing the cheese to travel in better conditions. This wood box is now part of the camembert cheese trademark.

The popularity of camembert continued during the First World War. On average, there were 10,000 boxes of camembert cheeses supplied per day to the central army stores. Despite its limited shelf life, its practical box and the popularity of this cheese together with bread as a snack was appreciated by all soldiers in the trenches. The camembert, engraved in popular memories since then, has remained successful to this day.

Norman production represents only 4% of the camembert cheeses made in France. The rest of camembert cheeses could be made anywhere with milk of any origin. The largest production of camembert in the world is not even in France. It is located in the United States, in Ohio!

You could enjoy a piece of French brie or camembert “au lait cru” with our Pale Ale beer jelly.

However, Canada, primarily Ontario and Quebec, is also producing tasty brie and camembert cheeses.

In fact, do you know that a Quebec dairy cooperative won the best camembert award during the World Cheese Championship at the beginning of 2019. It has been a cold shower for many French people. To be honest, I wasn't surprised. We have so many delicious cheeses in Canada.

Here is my selection of Canadian brie and camembert cheeses to enjoy with our Pale Ale beer jelly:

1) La Fromagerie du Presbytère (QC) – La liberté, Champayeur & Le Brie Paysan

2) Gunn’s Hill Artisan Cheese (ON) - Brigid’s Brie & Buffalo Bliss

3) Lighthall (ON) – Brie de Milford

4) Monforte (ON) – Billy (formally goat camembert), Gruff (surface-ripened camembert with a layer of ash), Goat Camembert, Savoir Faire & Matilda (water buffalo camembert)

5) Thornloe Cheese (ON) – Evanturel Brie with Ash Centre

6) Upper Canada Cheese Company (ON) – Comfort cream

Brie & Camembert, a French Tradition… Well Represented in Canada!