As every Camembert is wrapped before going into its box, bear in mind that it is a living cheese and needs to breathe. That is why at least half the box will be made of wood, since boxes made completely of cardboard tend to go soggy, while the cheese does not travel well.

The Camembert will carry on ripening inside a wooden box. In Brittany and the north of France younger, firmer cheeses are preferred to the soft, if not slightly runny cheese that finds favour in Paris.

Resist the urge to test the ripeness of a Camembert with a thumb: it will not be as reliable as holding the cheese gently by the edges. Any springiness between the fingertips will tell you more about the state of the cheese than a thumb can ever hope to do.

In the trade the ripeness is estimated in quarters (un quart), which roughly corresponds to a week’s ripening. So a week-old or two-week old cheese might leave the warehouse one or two quarters ripe (un quart, deux quarts) with a distinctly firm ‘chalky’ centre.

By the time it is a trois quarts cheese (three quarters ripe) there is a rapidly thickening layer of creamy cheese forming around the remaining core of the cheese. This is where the ripening process breaks down the proteins in the cheese and complex flavours develop.

A fully ripened quatre quarts Camembert is soft and creamy to its very heart. The complexity of its flavours are at a peak and in a Camembert there may even be a hint of ammonia if it is very ripe. (Brie on the other hand, should be buttery, but should never challenge the palate.)

No cheese should be eaten cold, from the fridge. A cheeseboard needs the best part of an hour for its cheeses to reach room temperature.

A cool, well-ventilated cellar is ideal for keeping table-ready Camemberts or the bottom of a fridge. If necessary, young Camemberts can be wrapped in aluminium foil for longer storage to finish off ripening: it is essential that cheese does not dry out while being stored. It is preferable to buy little but often rather than making bulk purchases, which will also take up space in a domestic refrigerator.