On what would have been her 256th birthday, Friday’s Google Doodle honors Marie Harel, the inventor of Camembert cheese.

The story of one of France’s most popular cheeses goes back to 1791, when Harel was a 30-year-old dairymaid in Vimoutiers in Normandy, northern France.

Legend has it that a priest from the northern region of Brie fleeing the anti-clerical French Revolution that was sweeping the country, took shelter near Vimoutiers and taught Harel how to make the soft cheese famous in his home region.

Harel added her own twist on the recipe, making her Camembert cheese in smaller wheels and without added cream. She also packaged the finished product in thin, round, wooden containers that have become an international icon.

Camembert became a firm fixture in French culture after wheels of the cheese were issued to soldiers fighting in World War I. Harel’s famous container also made Camembert ideal for transporting across the Atlantic, where it found a new stateside following.

Google’s Doodle features a slideshow illustrating how the cheese is made, step by step.

Get The Brief. Sign up to receive the top stories you need to know right now. Please enter a valid email address. Sign Up Now Check the box if you do not wish to receive promotional offers via email from TIME. You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Thank you! For your security, we've sent a confirmation email to the address you entered. Click the link to confirm your subscription and begin receiving our newsletters. If you don't get the confirmation within 10 minutes, please check your spam folder.

Contact us at letters@time.com.