What is the difference between brie and camembert?
White moulded cheeses originated in France. Traditionally, brie is made in the Ile de France region and camembert is made in Normandy. The differences between the two cheeses result from milk from different breeds of cow, different pastoral and climatic conditions and the cheese sizes. French brie is typically a broad, flat wheel weighing 3kg whilst camembert is always a small 250g wheel. White moulded cheeses made outside France lack these extreme regional differences, yet camembert or brie made in different regions of New Zealand can have different flavours, hence the difference between brands. Incidentally – the white mould spores are added at the beginning of the cheese making, and are encouraged to grow by being matured in specially humidified rooms. Before the cheese is wrapped, the mould is thick and downy.
