Camembert cheese

Camembert is a world-renowned soft-ripened cheese with a distinctive creamy texture and white bloomy rind. It was famously created in 1791 by Marie Harel in the village of Camembert, Normandy, France. While 'Camembert' by itself is a generic term that can be produced anywhere in the world, the specific 'Camembert de Normandie' is protected by an Appellation d'Origine Protégée (AOP), meaning it must be made in the Normandy region following traditional methods using raw milk from local cows.

Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, many large-scale dairy companies began mass-producing Camembert to meet global demand. Today, major brands like Président and Le Châtelain dominate the commercial market. The production process involves inoculating cow's milk with Penicillium camemberti, which forms the signature edible crust. Large multinational corporations, most notably Lactalis, now own many of the most recognizable Camembert brands, distributing them globally from their headquarters in France.

Ownership of individual Camembert brands varies significantly. For example, the world's leading brand, Président, is owned by the Besnier family's Lactalis Group. Because the name 'Camembert' is not a trademarked brand itself but a style of cheese, thousands of producers ranging from small artisanal farms to industrial giants contribute to its global manufacture, though its spiritual and historical home remains firmly rooted in French culture.