The camembert owes its name to a small village in Normandy. It did not protect its name and was a victim of its success. Only "Camembert de Normandie" is a registered trademark and must be made from unpasteurized milk.

Under the French Revolution, a refractory priest of Brie was hiding in Marie and Jacques Harel in the village Camembert. The priest then learned in the revolutionary turmoil from Marie Harel to make cheeses using the Brie cheese technique. This cheese, which resembled a little Brie cheese, was like it surrounded with straw. Marie Harel passed on this new tradition to her daughter and to her son-in-law, Thomas Paynel, who would develop the marketing by selling it on the Argentan and Caen markets.

Today, the largest camembert factories are located in Ohio in the United States.

Thanks to Le Marché Français for its succulent Camembert ;-)