2 BULLETIN 1171, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
I^etition resulted in uncertain markets and prices for domestic cheese, 
and as a consequence frequent losses to the manufacturer. Thus there 
was little to encourage the industry in this country. 
Just prior to the World War only about one-fourth of the Camem- 
bert used in the United States was made in this country; the re- 
mainder was imported from France, save a few thousand pounds of 
tinned cheese brought from Germany. In 1914 about 1,500,000 
pounds of cheese was received from France, the bulk of which was 
Camembert. Shutting off nearly all the imported cheese during the 
war period gave the American manufacturers much needed experi- 
ence in handling this product. At present there are in the United 
States at least 10 factories making this kind of cheese; and the 
larger ones are successfully producing from 12,000 to 35,000 pounds 
a month during the flush of the Camembert season. Most of this 
manufacture is in New York, Illinois, Michigan, and California. 
The increased demand for Camembert during the last few .years may 
possibly be explained by the American soldiers becoming acquainted 
with the cheese during their sojourn in France. The prevailing high 
price of the cheese has also stimulated the industry. 
Much progress has been made in recent years by way of improved 
curing conditions and in the understanding of the principles involved 
in making and marketing the product. The processes of manufac- 
ture now employed in most factories are so modified that in many 
instances they are quite different from those originally used in 
France. This bulletin discusses modern methods used in the United 
States in manufacturing and marketing the cheese, together with the 
precautions necessary and the difficulties often encountered in estab- 
lishing a factory. 
CHARACTERISTICS OF CAMEMBERT CHEESE. 
A Camembert cheese is usually 4| inches in diameter and from 
about 1 to 1^ inches thick. The surface of the cheese should be cov- 
ered with a thin velvetlike growth of blue-gray mold and other 
microorganisms. The blue-gray mold is responsible for the Camem- 
bert flavor, and at first it wholly covers the cheese. With it, how- 
ever, appears another growth, which is reddish yellow and produces £ 
a moist layer technically called slime. The finished cheese should be- 
largely reddish yellow, interspersed with patches of the blue-gray 
Camembert mold (Penicillwm camembert!) ; sometimes the mold 
predominates, and sometimes the reddish slime does. A thick coat 
of the blue mold with little or no slime is undesirable, as it indicates 
improper ripening. The slimy growth should gradually spread it- 
self over the cheese during the final stages of ripening. A crinkly 
surface, distinct from the regular impressions formed by the matting 
or ripening boards, is undesirable, as it is a sign that the cheese has 
not been ripened under proper conditions. Such a cheese, especially 
if moist, often emits a strong odor and is to be avoided. m 
Just beneath the rind of the cheese there is a progressive ripening 
which starts from the surface and moves toward the center. This 
change is indicated by the color being more yellow than that of the 
unripened portions, while the taste is more sour. The ripening is 
caused by enzyms which are produced by the mold. 
The quality of Camembert mold may be judged fairly well by its 
appearance. In general, the intensity of the flavor increases with 
