Penicillium Camemberti is not on the Endangered Species list

Penicillium Camemberti is a genetic sport. Penicillium Camemberti is the mold spore which gives camembert and brie their bloomy white rind and their oozy paste.

Photo by Alyona Yankovska on Unsplash

What makes Penicillium Camemberti so special? Consistency of the finished product is one remarkable aspect of this busy mold spore. Appeal in the color is another. Even hardcore cheeseheads aren’t always as keen on green, grey, and dustbunny colored mold fuzzes surrounding their artisanal cheeses. Whereas, the cotton-white mold on a brie or camembert elicits a salivary response from even neophytes to the world of better cheese.

But Penicillium Camemberti is losing its vigor. After 14 centuries (Charlemagne was said to enjoy brie), this oddity amongst cheese mold spores is falling prey to its lack of genetic diversity. It has been cloned for more than a millennium, and has lately been observed to be weakening in its effects.

Cheese researchers tell us not to worry. They say that brie and camembert won’t disappear when Penicillium Camemberti does. But they also say that the taste, texture and appearance of these cheeses won’t be the same as it is now. Which begs the question, when is a brie not a brie anymore?

This blog post is a heads up for artisanal cheese producers. The eventual disappearance of Penicillium Camemberti means there will be a bloomy rinded hole in the cheese universe. Enterprising solopreneurs might be best positioned to figure out what could fit in the hole that camembert leaves.

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