Patrick Oconnell
Brie is a soft cow's milk cheese that originated in the French region of Brie. It is creamy and buttery, with a mild yet deeply satisfying taste. Brie is usually served in small to large rounds, with a soft, white, mouldy rind that is typically eaten. The rind has a bloomy and earthy taste, and eating it enhances the cheese's flavour over time. The cheese is ready to eat when the outside is firm, and the inside is slightly bouncy and resilient. Brie can be served baked, grilled, or melted and pairs well with apples, crackers, jam, jelly, honey, and champagne.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Texture | Soft, creamy, rich, buttery, melt-in-your-mouth |
| Rind | White, mouldy, edible |
| Taste | Mild, grassy, nutty, earthy, mushroomy |
| Colour | Pale with a slight greyish tinge |
| Fat content | 60%–75% butterfat |
| Calories | 100 kcal per 30g serving |
| Fat | 8.4g per 30g serving |
| Saturated fat | 5.26g per 30g serving |
| Serving suggestions | Baked, grilled, on crackers, with apples, with honey, with jam, in sandwiches, in pasta sauces, on pizza, in salads, on cheeseboards |
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What You'll Learn
- Brie is a soft cow's milk cheese with a creamy texture and mild flavour
- The rind is edible and eating it enhances the cheese's flavour
- Brie is versatile and can be baked, grilled, melted, or served as is
- It can be paired with sweet and savoury foods like apples, crackers, jam, honey, and pastry
- Brie is a French cheese but is now made all over the world, including New Zealand and Wisconsin
Brie is a soft cow's milk cheese with a creamy texture and mild flavour
Brie is a soft cow's milk cheese with a creamy texture and a mild flavour. It is named after the French region of Brie, where it originated. Brie is a versatile cheese that can be served baked, grilled, melted, or on its own. It pairs well with a variety of foods, including apples, crackers, jam, jelly, honey, sandwiches, puff pastries, pizzas, cheeseboards, pastas, and salads.
Brie is typically produced in wheels, ranging from 23 to 37 cm in diameter, and is then cut into smaller segments for sale. The cheese has a white, mouldy rind that is edible and adds a bloomy and earthy taste to the mild paste. The rind is formed by the growth of Penicillium candidum, a white mould that characterises soft-ripened cheeses like Brie. The cheese is ready to eat when the outside is firm, and the inside is slightly bouncy and resilient. Underripe Brie is stiff to the touch, while overripe Brie is creamier and almost runny.
The flavour of Brie can vary depending on the ingredients used and the manufacturing environment. It typically contains between 60% and 75% butterfat, contributing to its creamy texture and mild flavour. The cheese is made by casting it into moulds, layering thin layers of cheese, and draining it for approximately 18 hours. It is then salted, inoculated with cheese culture, and aged in a controlled environment for at least four to five weeks. If left to mature longer, the cheese becomes stronger in flavour and taste, and the rind becomes darker and crumbly, resulting in Brie noir.
Brie is a popular cheese worldwide, with many varieties available, including plain, herbed, double and triple Brie, and versions made with other types of milk. It is a staple at gatherings and on cheeseboards, offering a simple yet indulgent and sophisticated taste. Brie can be served as an appetizer, dessert, or part of the main course, providing a versatile and satisfying option for any meal.
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The rind is edible and eating it enhances the cheese's flavour
Brie is a soft cow's milk cheese that originated in the French region of Brie, which is located in the modern département of Seine-et-Marne. It is known for its characteristic white, mouldy rind and soft, creamy interior. While Brie is typically sold in small to large rounds, it is traditionally produced in large wheels of 23 to 37 cm in diameter, and thus ripens more slowly than smaller cheeses.
The rind of Brie is not only edible but also enhances the cheese's flavour. The white rind, which is formed by a mould called Penicillium candidum, contributes to the cheese's subtle nuances in texture and taste. Eating the rind adds a bloomy and earthy flavour to the otherwise mild cheese. As Brie matures, the rind becomes darker and crumbly, and the cheese itself develops a stronger flavour. This mature Brie, known as Brie noir, has a distinct earthy and mushroom-like taste.
When serving Brie, it is recommended to take it out of the refrigerator about 30 minutes to an hour beforehand to bring it to room temperature. This allows the cheese to soften and enhances its creamy texture. Leaving the rind on when serving ensures that the full flavour of the cheese is experienced. The rind also helps to hold the cheese together, making it easier to eat and reducing messiness.
In terms of pairings, Brie is a versatile cheese that can be enjoyed in a variety of ways. It is commonly served on cheeseboards with other cheeses, fruits, crackers, and jams. It can also be baked, grilled, or melted and used in dishes such as sandwiches, pizzas, and pastas. When pairing Brie with beverages, champagne, wine, and beer are often considered complementary choices.
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Brie is versatile and can be baked, grilled, melted, or served as is
Brie is a soft cow's milk cheese, named after the French region of Brie from which it originated. It is pale in colour with a slight greyish tinge under a rind of white mould. The rind is typically eaten and has a flavour that depends on the ingredients used and the manufacturing environment. The cheese itself tastes a little grassy and nutty, with only the more mature wheels tasting faintly of earth and mushroom, like the Brie Noir. The cheese is ready to eat when the outside is firm, and the inside is slightly bouncy and resilient. Underripe brie is stiff to the touch, while overripe brie is creamier and almost runny. Overripe brie contains an unpleasantly excessive amount of ammonia, which is produced by the same microorganisms required for ripening.
Baked brie is a popular dish, and it can be baked whole or sliced. It can be wrapped in puff pastry and baked, or grilled on a tray with a knife and your preferred toppings. Baked brie can be topped with seasonal fruit and nuts and served with crackers for dipping. It can also be melted and used in sandwiches, pasta sauces, and on pizza.
Brie can also be melted and used as a filling for mushrooms, capsicums, chicken, pastry, bread, and soft pretzels. It can be used to stuff chicken along with fig, or turkey along with cranberries. It can also be used in burgers, or as a topping for sliders or a stuffed pork chop.
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It can be paired with sweet and savoury foods like apples, crackers, jam, honey, and pastry
Brie is a soft cow's milk cheese with a creamy, buttery, and mild flavour. It is pale in colour with a slight greyish tinge under a rind of white mould. The rind is typically eaten and has a bloomy and earthy taste. The cheese is ready to eat when the outside is firm, and the inside is slightly bouncy and resilient.
Brie is a versatile cheese that can be paired with both sweet and savoury foods. It can be served baked, grilled, melted, or on its own. When served as part of a meal, it goes well with apples, crackers, jam, and honey. It can also be used as a filling for mushrooms, capsicums, chicken, pastry, bread, and soft pretzels. Brie melts well and can be added to sandwiches, pasta sauces, and pizzas.
For a more indulgent option, brie can be baked and topped with seasonal fruit and nuts, served with crackers for dipping. It can also be wrapped in puff pastry and baked, or used as a filling for pastries. When served as an appetizer or part of a cheeseboard, brie can be paired with other cheeses, such as nutty manchego or blue cheese.
The versatility of brie extends to its use in cooking. It can be used to stuff chicken, add a creamy element to soups, or be the star of the show in a decadent stuffed pork chop. For a vegetarian option, brie can be baked with sweet potato slices and caramelised onions, or used as a filling for vegetarian burgers.
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Brie is a French cheese but is now made all over the world, including New Zealand and Wisconsin
Brie is a soft cow's milk cheese that originated in the French region of Brie (corresponding to the modern-day Seine-et-Marne département). It is typically pale in colour with a slight greyish tinge and a rind of white mould, which is usually eaten. The flavour of the rind depends on the ingredients used and the manufacturing environment. The cheese is usually produced in wheels, with segments cut and sold.
While Brie is a French cheese, it is now made all over the world, including in New Zealand and Wisconsin. New Zealand has many brie-style cheeses, including the Mainland brand, which offers Creamy, Double Cream, and Blue varieties, and craft cheesemakers such as Grinning Gecko. New Zealand's Upper Moutere, Nelson, produces a Brie with a white mould and a smooth interior, made by a young French cheesemaker.
In the US, the Marin French Cheese Company in California has been making an unaged cheese called "fresh brie" since 1865. Kolb-Lena, a Savencia Fromage & Dairy plant in Illinois, has been producing brie-style cheese since the early 1900s under brands like Alouette, Delice de France, and Dorothy's. Wisconsin, in particular, is known for its Somerset Brie.
The French government officially certifies only two types of Brie: Brie de Meaux and Brie de Melun. Brie de Meaux, also known as the "queen of cheeses," has been manufactured in the town of Meaux in the Brie region of northern France since the 8th century. It has a diameter of 36-37 cm and weighs about 2.8 kg. Brie de Melun, on the other hand, has a smaller diameter of 27 cm and weighs around 1.5 kg. It has a stronger flavour and a more pungent smell than Brie de Meaux.
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Frequently asked questions
Brie is a soft cow's milk cheese with a mild, grassy, nutty, and buttery flavour. The rind is also edible and adds a bloomy and earthy taste to the cheese.
Brie is a soft cow's milk cheese named after the French region of Brie, where it originated. It is usually produced in wheels 23 to 37 cm in diameter, although smaller cylinders are also sold.
When ripe, the outside of the brie will be firm, and the inside will be slightly bouncy and resilient. Underripe brie will be stiff to the touch, while overripe brie will be creamier and almost runny.
To store brie, wrap it in waxed or parchment paper and keep it in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator. The optimal storage temperature is 4°C or lower.
Brie can be served in many ways, such as baked whole or sliced, with a pastry coating, drizzled with honey, or added to sandwiches. It is a versatile cheese that can be served as an appetizer, dessert, or part of the main course.
