Panic in France and Cheese Country: Will Camembert Become Extinct in a Few Years?
I don’t want to cause too much panic, but things aren’t looking great for camembert. The French mould-ripened cheese is under threat of extinction. You could say that camembert is falling victim to its own success. Should we be worried?
Camembert is one of France’s biggest culinary stars. Napoleon was absolutely crazy about the cheese, and his fellow countrymen have been too ever since. For years now. Huge quantities of camembert are eaten— in France, but also beyond its borders. The mould-ripened cheese is produced in such enormous quantities that its most important production ingredient is at risk of running out: the mould.
Too Little Mould for Too Much Cheese
Without Penicillium camemberti there is no camembert. The mould gives camembert its distinctive, characteristic flavour and rind. But there’s a problem. Penicillium camemberti is not easy to reproduce. The mould does not reproduce sexually and has low genetic diversity. Meanwhile, manufacturers want to produce enormous quantities of camembert at breakneck speed. Quite simply, the mould can’t keep up.
Scientists vs. Cheesemakers
Does this mean we’ll soon have to go through life without camembert? Should we already build a large cellar to stock up on a huge supply? Scientists from Université Paris-Saclay and the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) are concerned. But the cheesemakers of Normandy—where camembert comes from—are not. In fact, they think it’s nonsense and unnecessary panic. Bruno Lefèvre, director of cheesemakers’ association Les fromageries de Normandie, tells CNN ‘that his family has been making camembert since 1891 and that he has never heard of this problem’. Okay, so we can breathe a sigh of relief.
That doesn’t change the fact that it’s rather stressful news. What if the end of camembert really is approaching? Then we’d better enjoy it while we still can. In the form of a camembert casserole and croquettes with camembert. I think I’m going to build that cellar after all.
Also read:
- The best European destinations for cheese lovers
- Recipe: how to make butter from brie
- No discussion necessary: cheese is the most delicious food in the world
Sources: CNN, NU.nl, RTL Nieuws
