Camembert vs Brie – Do Brie & Camembert Taste The Same?

If you are a true foodie who is obsessed with different types of cheese, you must have familiar with the wors camembert and brie. Of course,  when it comes to creamy, earthy french cheese, the best two choices are camembert and brie. These are the most famous cheeses around the world.

Camembert vs Brie – Which Is Better Baked Brie Or Camembert?

The delicious flavors of both camembert and brie are distinct from the rest of the others. People may think both kinds of cheese are the same. Because they have a lot of features in common and differences too.

Here we discuss the specialty of camembert and brie, and similarities and the differences between both kinds of cheese. 

Before we look into the specialties, let’s know about the camembert and brie.

What Is Camembert?

Camembert is one of the best cheeses closely associated with french people and their culture. It is the most famous french soft cheese made from unpasteurized cow milk. It is creamy, pungent, and moist cheese.

Camembert Cheese originated in the 18th century. It is mainly used with bread and paired with fruit. It is a sure list in any picnic and it tastes awesome. Camembert is one of the worldwide exported cheeses and it is the most demanded cheese across different countries.   

The History Behind Where Camembert Originated?

The first camembert was made by a farmer, Marie Harel from Normandy, specifically in the village of camembert,  Northern France. People believe that it was made during the period of the french revolution.

The original camembert is described as camembert de Normandie’. The name’ camembert’ came from where it originates. But people use it to address a cheese that is mild, soft, and small -format bloomy rind in texture.

The first cheese was made from unpasteurized milk and the latter it is made by culturing pasteurized milk in the united states. Though, french camembert is still made from raw milk. Fresh camembert cheese is crumbly and creamy in flavor and young camembert has a milky and sometimes it has a sweet taste. 

Camembert cheese does look like another french iconic cheese called Brie. Because both kinds of cheeses are soft, have a white rind, and are also made from cow’s raw milk. Let’s look into the details of Brie.

What is Brie?

Just like camembert cheese, Brie is another french cheese, which is also known as ‘The queen of cheese’. The nickname says the position of Brie among other cheeses. Normally brie is made with cow’s milk. But we can see brie made from goat’s milk. The traditional way of making brie was using cow milk.

The buttery and creamy brie’s taste is awesome. Brie is categorized into different types based on the amount of cream used to make the cheese. Double-cream and triple-cream are different variations of brie. The origin of this cheese may be France, but today it got wide popularity around the world.

Brie is different from other cheeses. It is unique in its texture, mild taste, and aroma. Brie is normally served with crackers, bread, or fruits. In addition, it is also used in other food items too.

This cheese have also some nutritional content and potential health benefits too. Normally cheese is high in fat and low in carbohydrates. This cheese will beneficial to people who follow a ketogenic diet. Brie is a keto-friendly cheese.

A ketogenic diet strictly avoids high carbs food and allows foods rich in fat. So, the zero carbs in the brie help to lose weight.

The History Behind Where Brie Originated?

Brie also originated from the french region, Le Brie. It is a soft cheese that is similar to Camembert. People believe that this cheese was often gifted as a tribute to the french colony. Because France is one of the foremost countries experimenting with hundreds and hundreds of delicious cheeses. Like camembert, brie is one of the most exported cheeses in France. The first brie was produced 35 miles east of Paris. It is believed that cheese was invented by monks in the 7th century. The traditional  Farm-produced Brie was made from unpasteurized milk. It was made within 40 to 60 days. But this was banned in the united states due to Food And Drug Administration(FDA) regulations. Several years ago, brie was one of the tributes that used to be paid to the french kings. There are many types of brie available today. But the French government approves only two brie named brie de Meaux and brie de Melun. The flavor totally depends upon the ingredients used in the manufacturing environment. The butterfat in the brie is slightly higher than in Camembert. Generally, the name brie is associated with the region where it is produced. In particular, it comes from the department of Seine-et-Marne in Paris. 

The fabrication steps of brie are simple compared to other cheese. The milk is brought from the farmhouses. It is thermalized and pasteurized to kill the bacteria and stored in a cool place.

When it’s cooled it can mix with natural rennet and heated to a temperature to obtain the curd from this mixture. Then the cheese is cast into several layers into the shape we need. It takes 18 hours to set. The cheesy salt can be kept for a minimum of four weeks.

Brie and camembert have many similarities. Sometimes people couldn’t find whether it is brie or camembert. The word is also used interchangeably based on its appearance.

At the same time, it has differences too. Before we move on to the differences, let’s look into the similarities between camembert and Brie.

Similarities Between Camembert And Brie

Camembert and brie are similar in characteristics like appearance, flavor, texture, etc. But at the same time, it has differences too. Both kinds of cheese originated in France.

Camembert and Brie are made from raw milk. The traditional way of making both kinds of cheese follows the method of using raw milk instead of cultured milk.

Both are bloomy rind cheeses that can be paired with fruits, bread, crackers, and french baguettes. It is interchangeably used in recipes because of its possessing similarities. 

In fact, camembert and brie have similarities based on so many factors. However, it has differences too. We saw that both kinds of cheese possess plenty in common.

Let’s look into the differences between camembert and brie. They are the high-quality cheeses of all time with centuries of tradition behind them.

Difference Between Camembert And Brie 

The cheeses originated in France. Although, it derives from different locations. Camembert originated in Normandy and Brie originated in Paris. When comparing the history of camembert and Brie, the latter originated in the 7th century with the invention of monks. It has a much longer history than camembert. On the other hand, the former originated in the late 18th century. 

They are also different based on the flavor, milk fat, and texture too. They are almost similar in the techniques of production. But they also possess few differences in production.

Camembert has stronger than brie. Camembert has lactic starters. During the time of the cheese-making process, makers add a lactic starter five times into the camembert.

When it comes to the processing of brie, lactic starter add only at the beginning of making the cheese. So brie has a mild flavor compared to camembert. Brie has high fat.

So it can be used in the keto-friendly diet. Camembert possesses less fat content. The milk used for brie contains 60 to 70 percent milk fat and camembert uses 30 to 40  percent milk fat.

Generally, camembert has a creamy texture. But sometimes, the cream is added to the brie in the cheese-making process in order to maintain the creamy texture. 

They are also different in taste. Camembert has an unforgettable flavor of mushrooms, truffles, and wet hay.

Camembert shows heavier density in the mouth due to its mild to hard texture. It is slightly more intense. On the other hand, Brie is slightly tangier, and brighter.

The flavor is also quite different from the camembert. Bries are famous for their mild flavor and luxurious texture. It is soft and creamy, and it has a fruit flavor. The real taste of both these kinds of cheese is banned in the USA.

The USA encourages making camembert and brie using cultured milk. Camembert and brie are using different ingredients to change their taste and flavors. 

Brie cheese is not only a french cuisine. It has wide popularity and is commonly used in cheese around the world. When it comes to size, brie is more giant than camembert.

Camembert is 4 inches in diameter and carries 3.2 cm in thickness. On the other hand, brie is approximately between 9-15 inches in diameter and it carries 2.5- 3.8 cm in thickness.

Usually, we buy a baby brie or petit brie from the markets. Because of its popularity, brie is an essential ingredient in party dishes and ceremonies. 

Conclusion – What’s Better Camembert Or Brie?

Camembert and brie are the best french cheeses used interchangeably in the recipes. Their similarities make confusion among the people. They resemble similarity in certain factors like appearance, texture, etc. However, they are different cheese products made from cow’s milk.