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THE glorious gooey ooze of a ripe Camembert cheese is the key to its
distinctive bitter taste. So say French scientists who have unlocked the secrets
of a culinary delight so revered that it reputedly inspired Napoleon to kiss the
woman who first served it to him.

Sophie Nicklaus and her colleagues at the National Institute for Agronomic
Research in Dijon made batches of Camembert, then carefully tested how the
bitter taste of the cheeses changed as they ripened over six weeks. They also
broke down some cheeses into their fat, protein and water-soluble components,
and reconstituted experimental cheeses, some of which were missing one or more
of these components.

Nicklaus鈥檚 team found that the structure of Camembert has a marked influence
on how we perceive its flavour. A panel of tasters reported that the bitterness
of the cheese increased as it ripened. Nicklaus says that this is probably
because enzymes from the mould on the surface of the cheese release bitter
chemicals by breaking down fats and proteins鈥攖he very process that makes
the cheese go runny. Tests on partly reconstituted cheeses showed that most of
the taste of the cheese was due to water-soluble molecules, including the bitter
chemicals.

Surprisingly, the completely reconstituted experimental cheeses were less
bitter and more salty than expected. Nicklaus thinks that the reconstitution
process destroys the structure of the cheese. 鈥淭he structure of the product has
an effect on the taste,鈥� she says. Even grating whole Camemberts made them taste
saltier.

Changes in the cheese鈥檚 structure as it ripens could release chemicals that
would otherwise be locked away, explains Nicklaus. The protein structure of an
unripe Camembert gives it its astringent quality, she adds.