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It is said that Marie Harel was responsible for creating the first Camembert cheese at the end of the 18th century. She learned the technique from a monk taking shelter on her farm (in the small village of Camembert in Normandy) during the French Revolution. This world-famous cheese might have remained a well-kept secret were it not for a French engineer named Ridel. He created the thin, round, wooden boxes in the late 19th century that allowed Camembert to be shipped safely over long distances.

A traditional Camembert is made with great care, following specific procedures to ensure as gentle a treatment of the curd as possible to avoid fat loss and maintain good texture. A specially sized ladle is used to deposit the exact same volume of curd into each mould. Filling the moulds can take more than four hours, as it is important to do so gently, a layer at a time.

Cheese maker Debra Amrein-Boyes of the Farm House Natural Cheeses in British Columbia's Fraser Valley puts the same care into her Camembert. To replicate the richness of the Normandy milk, she and her husband, George Boyes, combine the milk of three types of cows that they raise: brown Swiss, Guernsey and Holstein. The brown Swiss and Guernsey milk are known for their high-fat content (Guernseys are referred to as the original "butter cow") while the Holstein milk adds volume. The different acidity levels of the Guernsey and brown Swiss milk also add character to the cheese.

All the effort pays off in a rich cheese with a deep cream colour and a smooth texture that melts in the mouth. The salty, delicate paste is trailed by the pleasant bitterness of the rind.

Traditional Camembert is made from raw milk. Although Ms. Amrein-Boyes pasteurizes her milk, she batch pasteurizes, which involves using a lower heat (63 C) for a longer duration (30 minutes). This destroys less of the flora of the milk - which translates into more flavour in the cheese.

Farm House Camembert is made in small batches of 100 to 200 litres so it is manageable to cut the curd, stir it and ladle it by hand. Ms. Amrein-Boyes explains that the more you process the milk or use machines, the more you break down fat molecules, and the best flavour results when all the components of the milk are undisturbed.

Because she has always loved European cheeses - Ms. Amrein-Boyes used to make fresh cheese from the milk of local cows while living in the Swiss Alps - she imports her cultures from France. She feels this gives her Camembert the traditional European farmhouse taste she loves. And brings a little bit of France to British Columbia's doorstep.

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ON THE BLOCK

Cheese Farm House Camembert

Origin Agassiz, B.C.

Producer The Farm House Natural Cheeses

Cheese maker Debra Amrein-Boyes

Milk Pasteurized mix of Guernsey, brown Swiss and Holstein

Type Farmstead, soft, surface-ripened, bloomy rind, moulded, uncooked

Shape 300-gram wheel

Distributor farmhousecheeses.com

Availability

Locally available only in British Columbia; cheese boxes can be shipped anywhere in Canada.

Order from the website.

Vancouver: Les Amis du Fromage, Oyama Sausage, Whole Foods

Victoria: Choux Choux Charcuterie

Kelowna: Okanagan Grocery

BEPPI'S WINE MATCHES

Camembert generally makes for a tough wine match. But the relative mildness of this B.C. cheese makes it a tad more grape-friendly than most. Pinot noir, Beaujolais or even a fruity cabernet franc are good choices among red wines. A B.C. pinot gris would be a good white option. Arguably better still may be a craft-brewed fruit beer from Canada or a B.C. or Quebec hard cider.