What’s Normandy’s Most Popular Cheese?
The Fromagerie Val-de-Sienne (cheese factory) produces Gavray camembert – just a few minutes away from where I live in Normandy. Camembert is Normandy’s most popular cheese. Gavray camembert has been made here for 30 years and supplies local outlets. Not all supermarkets sell it but delicatessens and local markets certainly do.
The cheese is made by hand with the milk mixture being ladled into moulds before being turned several time until the skin forms. It is left to mature for a minimum of 14 days. The cheese carries the appellation d’origine protégée (AOP) certificate. This means that the camembert can only be made with milk from Normandy cows who must have grazed on Normandy grass for a minimum of 6 months.
You can see an interview (in French) with the owner and see how it’s made. Your only decision is how to eat it – hot, cold, on its own or with an accompaniment. Yum!