THE CAMEMBERT TYPE OF SOFT CHEESE. 53 
lack of uniformity among them. ‘The stage of ripening makes 
a marked difference in their appearance. One can find upon 
the same counter cheeses in which ripening has barely become 
distinguishable mixed with those in every stage of fitness and 
unfitness for use, even to those which are absolutely putrid, 
and all are likely to be sold as in prime condition for the table. 
Such cheeses on the surface may be whitish or grayish in color, 
or yellowish to reddish and may be dry or sticky with the 
accumulation of bacterial growths. ‘They may be practically 
odorless or at least inoffensive to smell, or they may emit very 
objectionable odors. ‘These differences are not due wholly to 
the degree of ripeness, for cheeses with very different appear- 
ance are often found of the same texture and flavor within. 
Moreover, cheeses with almost identical surface appearance 
often differ decidedly in texture and flavor. The external dif- 
ferences we have learned are due chiefly to the different kinds 
of micro-organisms that grow on the outside of the cheese, 
some of which are quite unnecessary to the production of the 
desired ripening. Consultation with dealers shows that there 
is no accepted ideal among them for Camembert cheese, but 
they disagree constantly on such matters. There also appears 
to be confusion in many quarters between the types known as 
Camembert, Brie, and Isigny. ‘This is probably due to the 
fact that the imported Brie is ripened in very nearly the same 
way as Camembert, differing only in size and shape and details 
of making, while the type we have discussed as American Brie, 
which includes the cheeses sold as Isigny, is very different in 
its appearance and ripening process, as well as texture and 
flavor. It has been shown that certain makers use these names 
as practicably interchangeable, z. e., regard them as the same 
general type of cheese moulded at different sizes, and market- 
able at different degrees of ripeness, and sometimes the same 
cheese exactly is sent to market bearing different labels. 
The true Camembert type of cheese is that imported from 
France. ‘These are shaped so that they fit wooden boxes about 
four and one-half inches in diameter and one and one-half inches 
thick. Upon the removal of their wrappings, the cheeses usually 
have a rather firm rind about one eighth of a inch thick com- 
posed of interlaced fungous threads supporting dried cheese. 
Within, the ripe cheese should be a yellowish cream color of a 
