Though your primary interest in visiting Lower Normandy may be the Landing Beaches and various sights of the Invasion of Normandy 1944, or perhaps the Flowered Coast from Honfleur to Deauville to Cabourg, it’s the greenery of inland Normandy that first grabs your attention when arriving from Paris—that and the hedgerows, the apple orchards, the traditional half-timbered homes and barns, the horses, and, most importantly, the cows.
The temperate coastal climate of this region, where clouds and rain are rarely far from sight, gives rise to a lush landscape highly suitable for the grazing of milk cows, making this region a major producer of milk, cream, and butter in France and home to famous cheeses—Camembert de Normandie, Livarot, Pont-l’Eveque, and Neufchatel—that are must-tastes for anyone visiting Normandy.
Honoring the region’s dairy-producing heritage, the term à la Normande generally refers to dishes with sauces containing fresh cream and/or butter though it might also refer to the addition of apples, cidre (hard cider), or Calvados (apple brandy). Come expecting dishes with olive oil and other staples of the Mediterranean diet at your own risk.
While the coast naturally offers menus of fish and seafood, inland Normandy thinks more in terms of beef and veal. Locally raised duck, notable the canard de Rouen, also appears on many menus. Add apples or the apple-based beverages cidre and Calvados and you’ve got a meal the makings of a great, hearty meal.
Restaurants serving local fare will be explored in a separate article to be posted this month. For now, setting aside the full meal, this article goes directly to the cheese tray or to a picnic by the beach of ripe cheese and fresh bread. But let’s begin with those cows.
La Vache Normande/The Norman Cow
The traditional cow of the region is the Norman cow, la vache normande, that produces rich, high-quality milk. The Norman is a hearty, hefty race that was developed in the 19th century and whose genealogy was codified in 1883. After World War II the high-producing workaday Holstein took over the landscape, in part to replace the numerous Normans that had been killed during the Invasion of Normandy, in part to hike up production with increasingly industrial farming. However, since the 1990s the Norman has made a comeback. You’ll recognize her by her irregular dark brown robe, a white stomach, and a white face with dark brown or black “glasses,” like that lazing vache in the photo above.
The Four Cheeses
1. Camembert de Normandie
Camembert, among the most famous names in French cheese-making, is said to have originated in Normandy in 1791 on the farm of Marie Harel, when a priest from the Brie region (just east of Paris), having fled here while on the run from the anti-clerical, anti-monarchy revolution then sweeping France, taught her how to transform her usual cheese-making technique so as to make a cheese with a white “crust” or rind à la Brie. The new cheese was initially associated with the village of Camembert and surroundings.
As with the majority of French cheeses, the name of Camembert and the other three major Norman cheeses comes from that of its early village or town of production. The numbers on the map accompanying this article show their location. However, the current production zone may now extend well beyond the place whose name is bears, as is the case with Camembert de Normandie, which may be produced in various zones in Normandy.
Camembert went from being local production sold in the markets of Calvados’s Pays d’Auge area (a fine wandering zone for the truly green traveler) to a wider regional production to a national cheese. That third step came thanks to the arrival of the train, which allowed quick shipment to Paris, the belly of France, and specifically to the belly of Paris, its central food market at Les Halles. In the late 19th century a national reputation didn’t necessarily mean that camembert was eaten throughout France but that the taste-makers in the capital knew about it. For shipping purposes the cheese was contained in round wooden boxes that would become its packaging signature toward the end of the 19th century, a period that also saw the development of large-scale cheese producers in the region.
Camembert truly became a national symbol during WWI when it was included in rations given to soldiers. Due to the needs of the army, camembert production was not limited to Normandy. Therefore, despite attempts to declare camembert an AOC or “controlled appellation of origin” that would allow only those cheeses produced in a specific area of Normandy with the milk of Norman cows to be called camembert, camembert was eventually declared a generic term for this type of cheese.
However, in 1983 “Camembert de Normandie” (as opposed to simply “camembert”) received an AOC designating a raw milk cheese molded by ladle and with a fat content of at least 45 percent, molded in a round shape 10.5-11 centimeters in diameter and produced in specific areas in Normandy. What was formerly known as AOC for cheese is now called AOP, appellation d’origine protégé (protected appellation of origin).
Finding a wooden box that contains a round cheese with camembert’s characteristic white mold isn’t enough. First, look for “Camembert de Normandie” on the box if you want the get intimate with the best of camembert. The majority of Camembert de Normandie producers are located in the southeast corner of Calvados, though several others are found further west in the region. Since the tastiest camemberts are made of raw milk, lait cru is what you should look for if your personal health certificate allows.
Fans of camembert enjoy it at different times in its maturation/riping process, but generally speaking you’ll want the heart be soft enough to slightly but not fully bulge out when cut open. In search of the ideal ripeness you’ll notice that in a cheese shop (fromagerie) the cheese seller (fromager or fromagère) will take off the top of the box to give a squeeze in order to see how ripe it is. Shoppers do the same in the cheese section of supermarkets. When you do open a ripe camembert, don’t be afraid of slight red staining along the side as that’s just due to the ripening.
You’ll also find in Normandy cidre-soaked camembert, whereby the round has been soaked in hard cider during a portion of its maturing process. Camembert mariné au cidre can have a slightly bitter smell to it, and it naturally takes on a slight (or less slight) taste of the cidre, which some people may find aggressive. Since a full round of the cidre-soaked camembert can be overkill, most cheese shops sell halves or even quarters. Love it or leave it, cidre-soaked camembert is worth a taste because it’s as local as you can get in terms of ingredients.
Beware: A camembert that declares itself Fabriqué en Normandie (made in Normandy) without the AOP “Camembert de Normandie,” simply means that the cheese was made in the region of Normandy but, with all due to respect to the region’s cows, that in itself is not the sign of quality. While it’s always nice to eat local products, it’s even nicer to eat excellent local products.
2. Livarot
Livarot, named for a village in the same area of Normandy as the village of Camembert, is another round cow cheese but is stronger and denser than camembert. Whereas camembert, even when strong and ripe, is rich and creamy, Livarot can feel sticky and taste somewhat biting as though someone left it in a cave and forgot about it for a month or more—at least that’s the case with the best of them. Though contemporary tastes have milded it down a bit, a very mild Livarot is of as little interest as a sugar-free chocolate éclair.
Livarot comes strapped with three strips of rush or rush-like paper, like the stripes of a colonel, which is why it also goes by the nickname Le Colonel.
3. Pont-l’Evêque
The grandfather of Norman cheeses, produced in the area around the town of Pont-l’Eveque since the 12th century and already exported to other regions in the 17th century, this is another soft cheese with a brushed or washed rind. It comes in a square, like a paving stone, however you needn’t by the full square as many cheese shops also sell rectangular halves.
Though Pont-l’Eveque can have a strong smell, it’s more mild in taste compared with Livarot and ripe Camembert. At its best there’s an aged richness whereby the smell is pronounced but not overpowering and the taste is smooth, almost sweet.
4. Neufchâtel
Neufchâtel can come in squares or logs but is most commonly produced in its heart-shaped version. It comes from a very localized area around the town of Neufchâtel-en-Bray in Upper Normandy, which is north of the primary zone for the other Norman AOP cheeses and removed from the area covered in the series of Normandy Landing Zone articles on France Revisited. Because its zone is more localized, Neufchâtel has a smaller production than the other three cheeses and is less well known.
Cheese has been made in the Neufchâtel area since the 11th century, which could allow it to claim seniority over Pont-l’Eveque, however the Pont-l’Eveque’s reputation early on has earned it a stronger historical claim. As with Camembert de Normandie, a peach-fuzz of mold can naturally form on the Neufchâtel rind, particularly its raw-milk version. You may wish to remove the rind or not. Inside, the cheese is creamy and smooth and can be tasty both young and properly aged. Though the smell naturally becomes more pronounced with age, it is generally mild compared with Camembert and certainly compared with Livarot.
Preparing a picnic
There’s plenty of industrial cheese around, especially in supermarkets, even if it is made in Normandy, but to know the best of Norman cheeses you should head into a cheese shop where you’ll find more artisanal, and better yet fermier (farm-produced) cheeses. Good restaurants conscientious about their cheese trays are the other place to try them.
Despite a temptation to put these cheeses in the refrigerator they are best left out, particularly if ambient temperature is below 60 degrees. If you do wish to refrigerate, say at night while at a hotel, it’s advisable not to re-refrigerate, not just for health reasons but because it messes up the natural maturing process of the cheese. Though the better cheeses will retain some of their interest with re-refrigeration the more average ones loose what little interest they ever had. Better to keep them out, without overheating them; leave a raw milk cheese in the trunk of the car for 12 hours on a warm day at your own risk.
The wisest and tastiest way to go about preparing your picnic as you travel is to stop by the fromagerie during the day of your picnic and tell the fromager or fromagère (depending on whether the husband or the wife is minding the shop) that the cheese is for consumption that afternoon. If you already have a sense of Norman cheese ripeness you can tell him/her what ripeness you prefer, otherwise let the expert advise. The bread store is probably within a storefront or two of the cheese shop, and also nearby you’ll likely also find some good regional charcuterie (cold-cuts). Tell the charcutier/charcutière (depending on which is having a tryst with the fromager/fromagère) that you want a few slices of something local, then go with the flow.
Ideally you’ll try each of the four Norman AOP cheeses, but if there isn’t enough interest (or aren’t enough mouths) in your travel party to warrant all that for a single picnic then just try one or two per day—or go to a restaurant with a good cheese tray.
Drinks to accompany Norman cheeses
Northwest France, from Brittany to the Belgian border, has no serious vineyards, nevertheless, all four cheeses described above are enhanced with a glass of red.
If you want to be picky and are looking to match the depth of the wine with the strength of the cheese it’s worth nothing that Livarot can be strong enough to overpower many reds; it’s well suited for a bold pinot or something with a bite of “noble rot” to it. Or go local chic by having a glass of Calvados with your Livarot. Also consider beer.
Camembert can be accompanied by a cabernet or a merlot or any grape or combination of grapes growing within 50 miles of Bordeaux or with something relatively full-bodied from the Loire Valley. The Loire Valley vineyards are closer to Normandy than those of Bordeaux, so in the name of local travel I vote for the Loire for the picnic.
Neufchâtel also does well with fruiter wines from the Loire Valley, Beaujolais, or the Rhone Valley.
Pont l’Evêque and Neufchâtel, as the milder of these cheeses, are also well accompanied by a cool glass of cidre.
Water is always an acceptable alternative for all four and obligatory for whoever’s driving after the picnic.
Visiting a cheese production facilities
You may pass by farms with a small shop to purchase their cheese directly for your picnic, and perhaps have the chance to speak with the producer about his or her products. However, for health reasons, small producers can’t give public tours since a special sanitation set-up would be required in order to allow outsiders to witness the cheese-making process.
Graindorge, a semi-industrial (or mixed artisanal-industrial) producer of the major cow cheeses associated with Normandy gives tours in which visitors can observe the process from behind a glass wall. Their production facility is located in the town of Livarot, west of Caen. See www.graindorge.fr for details.
Between Utah and Omaha Beaches, you’ll pass Isigny (number 5 on the accompanying map), a town especially known for its production of butter and cream. As with the cheeses noted above, Beurre d’Isigny and Crème d’Isigny are both recognized appellations. The workshops of the Milk-product Cooperative of Isigny Saint-Mère, a major regional producer of butter, cream, camembert and Pont l’Eveque, can be visited weekdays in July and August during regularly scheduled guided tours, otherwise by appointment from Easter to mid-October. See www.isigny-ste-mere.com for details.
Isigny is also known for its irresistible, damn-the-calories caramels. For information on caramel factory tours, in French only, seewww.caramels-isigny.com. Or simply buy some anywhere in the Landing Zone.
Cheesy websites
Association of producers of Camembert de Normandy AOC: www.camembert-aoc.org
Association of producers of Livarot AOC: www.livarot-aoc.org
Association of producers of Pont-l’Eveque AOC: www.pont-leveque-aoc.org
Association of producers of Neufchatel AOC: www.neufchatel-aoc.org
If focusing on back-road travels in Pays d’Auge you might consult the site routeducidre.free.fr
© 2009, Gary Lee Kraut