Camembert cheese

Leave it in its wooden box only if the box is untreated and has no plastic or staples; otherwise use a small ovenproof dish. Score the rind, bake at 180 °C for about 15–20 minutes, and serve when the centre is soft but the cheese still holds its shape.

Yes. Its white, bloomy rind is edible and helps give ripe Camembert its earthy flavour; cut it away only if you dislike the texture or taste.

Press the centre gently: a ripe cheese gives slightly, and its aroma is creamy and earthy rather than sharply ammoniacal. If it is firm, let it ripen at room temperature for a short while; if it smells strongly of ammonia, it is past its best.

Wrap it in cheese paper or baking paper, then keep it in the fridge in a covered container so its aroma does not spread. Bring it out around 30 minutes before serving, and use it within a few days once cut.

Serve it with crusty bread, apple or pear slices, grapes, and a little honey or chutney. It also melts well in a toasted sandwich or alongside potatoes.

You can, but freezing changes its texture and can make it crumbly after thawing. Wrap it tightly, freeze it for up to about two months, and use it in a cooked dish rather than serving it on a cheese board.

Traditional Camembert is made from cow’s milk and ripened with a white mould rind. The name comes from Camembert, a village in Normandy, France.

Camembert has 14 g of protein per 100 g, compared with 9.3 g in processed cheese. It is a ripened cheese with a soft, bloomy rind, whereas processed cheese is made by blending cheese with other ingredients.