Camembert de Normandie

Camembert de Normandie is a soft, raw-milk cheese of flat cylindrical form produced within a defined area of Normandy. The specification requires ladle-moulding, a minimum net weight of 250 g, a bloomy white rind, and, from 1 May 2017, that at least 50 % of the dairy herd on each holding consists of Normande-breed cows.

About this designation

Registered as a PDO under file number PDO-FR-0112, with EU protection dating from 21 June 1996 and eAmbrosia identifier EUGI00000012895, Camembert de Normandie is classified as a soft bloomy-rind cheese made exclusively from raw cow's milk. The specification requires the cheese to contain at least 45 g of fat per 100 g of cheese when completely dried out, and its dry matter must weigh at least 115 g per cheese. The form is a flat cylinder with a diameter of 10.5 cm to 11 cm and a net weight, as indicated on the packaging, of at least 250 g. The rind is described in the specification as white with a surface mould creating a white covering, with possibly some red spots visible. The colour of the paste varies from ivory to pale yellow. The geographical area spans defined cantons and municipalities in the departments of Calvados, Eure, Manche, and Orne. Milk production, manufacture, maturation, and packaging must all take place within this area. From 1 May 2017, at least 50 % of the dairy cows on each holding must be of the Normande breed. Dairy cows must graze for at least six months of the year, and 80 % of the basic forage ration, on a dry matter basis, must come from the holding. Complementary feed is restricted to 1 800 kg per cow per calendar year. Each cheese must carry an individual label bearing the designation of origin, the words 'Appellation d'origine protégée' or 'AOP', and the European Union PDO logo.

Source: The register document this entry was written from · retrieved August 26, 2026

Distinctive facts

• Registered as a PDO on 21 June 1996 under file number PDO-FR-0112; eAmbrosia identifier EUGI00000012895.
• From 1 May 2017, at least 50 % of the dairy cows on each holding must be of the Normande breed.
• The specification permits no milk other than raw cow's milk; the cheese must contain at least 45 g of fat per 100 g of cheese when completely dried out.
• Dairy cows must graze for at least six months of the year, and complementary feed is restricted to 1 800 kg per cow per calendar year.

Tasting notes

Normandy cow's milk (lait cru — raw milk, mandatory for AOP) soft bloomy-rind cheese aged minimum 22 days. White Penicillium rind, ivory paste with characteristic golden-cream gradient when ripe, soft to runny texture at peak, intensely aromatic with mushroom-cream-cabbage farmyard notes — pungent and earthy, distinct from industrial pasteurized Camembert.

HoReCa use

Plateau de fromages classic; baked whole in box for sharing; served with sliced apple and Calvados; pairs with cidre de Normandie and Pinot Noir.

Packaging

• wheel-full-250g
• gift-pack-2x250g