a long tradition of cheese making
The best suited milk for cheese
The Normande milk is one of the best suited milk for cheese making for a number of reasons: at 3.65 %, its protein is one of the highest among main dairy breeds. In addition, more than 90 % of the Normande population carry the B Kappa Casein gene and 82 % of AI Bulls have the BB Genotype. The levels of casein BB Kappa in the milk is known to improve the curdling quality of the milk for cheese manufacturing (speed and firmness of gel) resulting into up to 10% higher yield. In addition, the Normande milk presents favorable calcium/phosphate ratio, with a high calcium content, while the fat miscella are medium size, all of which result in yields of cheese 15 to 20 % higher than some low quality milk, depending on the type of fabrication.
In France, the Normande is known for the production of such famous cheeses as Pont-Lévêque, Neufchatel, Livarot. But its call for fame is undoubtedly the Camembert, the French national iconic cheese. No other breed is so strongly associated with a cheese as a national symbol and flagship. The history of the Camembert runs deep in Normandy, from the unique terroir of Normandy and its famous pastures, to its mythic invention during the French Revolution by Marie Hamel and the ubiquitous Camembert boxes featuring picturesque landscapes of Normandy and Normande cows.
