Brie - All about Brie cheese. Brie, the cheese of kings

He was loved even in the Middle Ages, his for a long time served only on the table of the king, until the Great French Revolution changed everything. We are talking about Brie (Brie): a cheese with a long history. There are no indifferent to it: someone is scared away by the aroma of ammonia and the appearance of white mold, and someone admires the delicate creamy core.

Brie cheese - what is it

Born near Paris, named after the place of manufacture, known since the 8th century, it is the king among cheeses and is valued no less than Italian Parmesan, although they can hardly be compared. Bree is soft cheese with white mold, for the manufacture of which cows' milk is used that has not undergone pasteurization. In appearance, the “head” resembles a pie or cake 5 cm high, and the diameter ranges from 30 to 60 cm. Right product has a crust with a velvety-looking mold white color, occasionally with reddish blotches, and always a light gray tint.

A few key features:

• In France, only 2 varieties pass certification of authenticity control: de Meux and de Melin.
• If this variety is made in America or Australia, milk must be pasteurized, according to the standards of these countries.
• The taste depends on age: the younger the cheese, the less pungent it is. You can determine the duration of ripening by the thickness of the cake: the thinnest is inherent in the old and spicy Brie.
• You should not buy this cheese if you do not plan to use it in the next 14 days.
• The smell of ammonia is very pungent and intrusive this product should not.
• You can eat a crust - it is also useful element dangerous only in high concentrations of penicillin.

Brie and Camembert - what is the difference

Those who are new to French soft cheeses do not see a clear difference between their varieties. Particularly actively people are wondering what is the difference between Brie and Camembert. In the photo, they are very similar: the same circle shape, the same white mold on a hard crust, formed by the bacterium of the fungus Penicillinum camamberti. However:

• Camembert is always thinner (3.1 cm) and lighter (0.34 kg), and is much smaller in size - only 11.3 cm in diameter.
• The duration of Camembert ripening is from 3 weeks, and Brie should ripen 28 days or more.
• The main taste difference is fat content: in Camembert it is higher - 40% versus 25%.
• Brie is sold in triangles, but Camembert is not cut and packed in a wooden box.
• Camembert smells sharper, devoid of nutty notes, and the core is creamy yellow.

What do they eat with

Belonging to the classic varieties used to create a mixed type of cheese plate, Brie is suitable as an appetizer for wine or desserts, laid out on a board in thin slices. However, it can also be used as a component of hot dishes (mainly the first and sauces due to its fusibility), or an additive in coffee. Serving temperature - room temperature.

Regarding what Brie cheese is eaten with, there are several options:

• with fruits (pears, grapes, figs, apples) and honey as a dessert;
• with white wine (preferably from Chardonnay grapes);
• with baked potatoes.

calories

This product has a percentage of fat and energy value fluctuate depending on age, which is characteristic of almost every elite cheese. Brie can be light or normal in terms of fat content, which is mostly 25%, but by law it can be higher - 45, 50 and 65%. The higher this indicator, the more tender the core will be. If we consider the calorie content of Brie, then it will be only 291 kcal for a 25% variety, and the protein will contain 21 grams.

Benefit and harm

Relatively low calorie and fat content a large number of minerals, vitamins, protein, no carbohydrates and very low maintenance lactose makes brie good option relatively dietary product. How are the benefits and harms of Brie cheese manifested? Antibiotics produced by the penicillin fungus are dangerous for people with intolerance to this element, pregnant women and people suffering from dysbacteriosis. The rest of the use of this cheese should be reduced to 50 g per day.

However positive properties he has more:

• white mold helps bowel function.
• The active use of this cheese is a natural prevention of caries.
• In terms of the proportion of phosphorus and zinc necessary for bone tissue, this variety surpasses the rest.
• With lactose intolerance, Brie is not contraindicated.

Brie at home

If you can’t buy the desired product, you can try to master its manufacture. The technology is much easier than when working with hard varieties, although the search required components however, it may cause some difficulties. Brie at home can be prepared in 2 months (maturing period), after which the product must be consumed in about the same period of time.

Ingredients:

• unpasteurized cow's milk - 6 l;
• rennet - 1/3 tsp;
• salt - 1.5 tbsp. l.;
• citric acid - 1/2 tsp;
• cold water - 200 ml;
• white mold powder - 1/8 tsp

Cooking method:

1. Heat the milk in a water bath to 31 degrees.
2. Sprinkle mold powder on top. After folding (6-7 minutes of waiting), mix.
3. Pour diluted citric acid and the same rennet (according to the manufacturer's instructions). Mix, cover.
4. After 1.5 hours, cut with a sharp knife into pieces with sides of 2.5 centimeters.
5. Warm up to 45 degrees in the same water bath (minimum power), wait for subsidence curd mass. Drain the serum through cheesecloth.
6. Let the cheese rest round shape lined with cloth, 3 tsp.
7. Move to transparent white (!) Plastic container placed on a stand so that the separating whey can drain. The next 4 days will need to periodically turn the cheese.
8. On the 5th day, sprinkle with salt, let it ripen in the dark and cold for 14 days until mold appears.
9. Turn over, wait another 2 weeks: the mold should completely cover the cheese.

Brie Recipes

All varieties of this product are in demand among chefs when creating main dishes, sauces, appetizers, and desserts. It can even be fried and served with a sour berry dressing. Recipes with Brie cheese are present in the cuisine of almost every European country. If you are just getting acquainted with this product and have not fully appreciated the features of smell and taste, start culinary experiments with salads.

salad

As previously specified, this product is excellent friends with fruits and nuts, so cooks are actively used for salads, which will give a delicate creamy note. Their composition can be almost anything, but you should not add animal protein there - it is better to choose seafood. If you are looking for festive option, try a simple salad with Brie cheese, avocado, grapefruit and fried kernels pine nuts.

Ingredients:

• leaf lettuce - 110 g;
• grapefruit - 170 g;
• avocado - 200 g;
• Brie - 100 g;
• pine nuts (kernels) - 70 g;
• salt.

Cooking method:

1. Deprive the films of the grapefruit slices, cut in small pieces.
2. Remove the pit from the avocado, remove the skin, cut the flesh in the same way.
3. Leaf salad wash, pat dry with paper towels. Break big.
4. Fry the nuts (do not pour oil) until golden brown.
5. Combine these components, salt, mix, lay out a slide. Spread the cheese evenly on top, cut into squares.

pie

Desserts with this elite product are admired by everyone who tries at least small piece. Open french pie from Brie to sand base ideal for a holiday or even to add variety to regular breakfast. Crispy bottom layer, soft center, sweetness of pears and creamy taste cheese - a recipe for a magical treat with a minimum of effort will become your favorite. If desired, Brie can be replaced with Camembert here.

Ingredients:

• butter - 125 g;
• flour - 250 g;
• sugar - 70 g;
• eggs - 2 pcs.;
• pears - 450 g;
• Brie - 120 g;
• sour cream - 70 g;
• lemon juice - 20 ml;
• vanilla sugar - 1 tsp

Cooking method:

1. Make it simple shortbread dough rubbing cold butter crumbs with sugar, flour and egg yolks. Refrigerate before stretching into a round shape. The height of the sides should be about 4 cm.
2. Bake at 200 degrees for 10 minutes.
3. Remove the peel from the pears, cut them into thin slices, spread them inside the base of the pie. sprinkle lemon juice.
4. Spread cheese on top, cut into wide slices, pour over a mixture of sour cream with whipped proteins and vanilla sugar.
5. Continue baking at the same temperature until the pie filling is browned.

Price

Food sanctions have taken a serious toll on food choices and prices, so finding Bree High Quality(especially French) and it became difficult not to give half of the salary for it. The price of Brie cheese for a piece of 100 g starts from 200 rubles. and is conditioned by how mature it is, by whom and where it was produced. Approximate price range:

• The Russian brand VitaLat offers 0.15 kg of Brie 60% for 280 rubles.
• The same Russian Alti asks for 250 rubles. already for 0.125 kg. Cheese is also 60%.
• Cheese with a fat content of 60% of the President brand will cost 209 rubles. for 100 g.
• The Swiss version with a fat content of 50% costs 330 rubles. for 100 g or 876 rubles. for 230 g (small cake, not a piece).
• French-Swiss-made cheese with a fat content of 55% costs 340 rubles. for 100 g.

Video

France is a country of wines and cheeses. This people knows a lot about both, but not every Frenchman can list all the names food products national pride. However, there is a cheese that is known and loved by many, and not only in France, but all over the world. It is, of course, brie cheese. In our country it is called brie. Brie cheese with white mold has long migrated beyond the borders of the Fifth Republic and has taken a strong position on the gourmet tables of the most different nationalities. There are many fakes of this product. The Russians have even learned how to cook cheese with white mold in their small kitchens. However, real brie can only be tasted in its homeland.

Story

The history of brie cheese is romantic. The first mention of it dates back to the 15th century and is associated with the name of Queen Blanca of Navarre. She not only ate gourmet delicacy, but also regularly sent baskets of brie to her high-born relatives and friends. The French say that the cheese of the kings played a cruel joke on Louis 16. Fleeing from the rebels during the Revolution, he lingered in Brie. At a cheese meal, they grabbed him. Probably, on the scaffold, he regretted his addiction to a delicacy.

Justifying the High Price

The cheese of the kings was produced and is produced in only one place. This is a small town of Brie, with a population of just under 1000 inhabitants and located 300 kilometers east of Paris. It is here that the famous Brie de Meaux is brewed, which is called the cheese of kings and the king of cheeses. Other French analogues of this cheese, of which there are about a dozen types, practically do not differ from the standard, except that, unlike Brie de Meaux, they do not have an AOC quality certificate. But even without the famous quality certificate, this product is very expensive.

How much do they pay for brie cheese in Russia today? The price for 100 g of the delicacy is approximately 230 rubles. 100 g for a fatty cheese like brie is a lot. It is not easy to eat more than one 30-gram piece per evening, and it is not safe for health, because the mold that covers its surface is large quantities is a poison that can poison the blood. Since the poison is even useful in small quantities, you should not be too afraid of such a delicate product as brie cheese. Its price serves as a kind of health protection for poor people.

Distinctive features

Distinguishing brie from other cheeses is easy. It is light gray, thick, soft and oily inside, and is covered with a thick layer of white mold on top, which has a characteristic thin and pungent odor. ammonia. The dimensions of the whole brie are small - the diameter is about 50 cm, and the thickness rarely exceeds 4 cm.

Manufacturing secrets

The king of cheeses and the cheese of kings, brie, is boiled and ripened for a month and a half. A young product, ready to eat, has a maturity of 28 days. The older it is, the more pronounced its taste and smell. After 60 days, brie cheese becomes unfit for human consumption. This must be remembered and carefully studied the inscription on the label, which contains information about the production date and shelf life.

The king of cheeses and the cheese of kings is made only from cow's milk. The first secret of brie is the alpine meadows, where cows graze, giving milk that is unique in taste and quality. Cheese sourdough is taken from a young ruminant isolated in the fourth section - this is the second secret of French cheese makers, which is kept in strict confidence. The third component of the success of brie cheese is the brine in which it is washed before mold culture is applied to its surface. It is almost impossible to repeat these three conditions, but for the brave experimenters in the field of cooking, we publish a recipe for making brie cheese in the home kitchen.

Making brie at home

To get a pound of cheese, 6 liters of unpasteurized cheese is required. It should be heated to a temperature of 37 degrees and fermented with lemon or acetic acid, then add rennet, which can be found in specialized stores. Stir. After 40-50 minutes, when the mixture thickens enough, it needs to be slightly salted, stirred again and transferred to cheesecloth. Leave in this form to remove the main part of the serum. When the cheese becomes more or less hard, it must be transferred to a dry napkin and sent to the refrigerator. Within a few days, change the napkin to a dry one. As soon as the whey ceases to stand out, the cheese should be smeared with mold from a real store-bought brie. Five days is usually enough for molds to start growing and multiplying on a dairy substrate. After a couple of weeks, the entire cheese head should be covered with a white coating. This is the first indicator of the success of the experiment. Now the cheese can be wrapped in parchment and left in the refrigerator for 2 weeks to ripen. Ready cheese will have a yellowish color and ammonia smell.

Tradition of use

Usually cheese of kings dominates any table. His refined taste It is customary to shade with light wine and fruit. The king of cheeses and the cheese of kings deserves a separate plate, although it is usually served in company with other cheeses. This is perfectly acceptable. From fruit, preference should be given to grapes, fresh figs, melon, pineapple, pears, apples. Dried fruits and nuts are also good with brie. On a separate plate are served toast or soft White bread, honey is poured into a shallow bowl. Also don't forget the freshly ground black pepper. They are sprinkled with the cheese of the kings in case it is spread on toast.

Cheese lovers often use this delicacy product for cooking gourmet snacks. We invite you to try a few unusual dishes with the participation of royal cheese with white mold.

Rye bread pie with brie cheese

From a round loaf rye flour need to cut upper part like a lid. Take out the crumb. Lubricate the inside of the loaf with soft butter mixed with mustard and crushed garlic. On the sides of the loaf, make vertical cuts, trying to keep its shape. Put the cheese, freed from the mold crust, inside the bread bowl. It is also lightly greased with sharp oil paste. Cover with a lid and put in the oven with medium heat for 25 minutes. Such cheese pie Very tasty both warm and chilled.

Brie stuffed potatoes

Large and even potatoes, pieces 4, must be thoroughly washed and baked. Prepare the filling. For 70 g of tender brie core, 5 tablespoons are taken rustic sour cream without leaven, pinch nutmeg, salt, black pepper and finely chopped bacon and onions.

From the finished potato, you need to remove a little pulp and combine it with the filling. Stuffing put in potatoes and put in hot oven for a few minutes. After the foam bubbles disappear and the crust begins to brown in their place, the potatoes are ready. It should be made light vegetable salad and serve the dish with a glass of white table wine.

Brie cheese refers to soft table varieties that are prepared on the basis of cow's milk. It has been on the list of the most delicious French cheeses since the 8th century. The name arose from the province of the same name, where this product was first made. Today, many European countries are engaged in the production of Brie cheese. In general, there are 3 main varieties of this product: Brie de Meaux, Brie de Coulomier and Brie de Melun. In addition, some manufacturers produce a product with various additives, for example, with mushrooms and nuts.

The process of making Brie cheese begins with the fact that the milk is heated and then filtered. Then an enzyme is added to it, which allows the formation of a cheese mass. After that, the time comes when you need to separate the whey from the cheese mass in forms that are placed on a special bed and constantly turned over. After 7 days, mold spores are applied to the surface.

The characteristic rind of Brie cheese can form completely naturally, as well as due to the addition of special enzymes. The product arrives on store shelves in heads that look like a flatbread. In diameter, it reaches 60 cm, and the thickness is about 5 cm. Brie cheese is covered with white mold with a gray tint on top. Under it is a crust on which you can see the streaks of brown. Inside is a yellowish pulp, which has more liquid consistency. Brie cheese is characterized by a delicate creamy taste with nutty and mushroom aromatic notes. The fat content of the product can vary from 40 to 50%.

Beneficial features

The health benefits of Brie cheese are: chemical composition. For example, it contains vitamin A, which is important not only for vision, but also for the production of collagen, which maintains the beauty of the skin. B vitamins improve performance nervous system which in turn helps with insomnia and fatigue. Among the minerals, calcium is released, which strengthens bone tissue. It contains magnesium, phosphorus and other minerals. The composition of such cheese practically does not include lactose, which means that people who are allergic to it can use it.

Brie cheese contains amino acids important for the body, as well as bacteria that have a positive effect on the activity of the digestive system. This product has been proven to reduce the risk of caries. The mold that is in this cheese has the ability to protect the skin from sunburn.

Use in cooking

Brie cheese is very popular with chefs around the world. With it, you can diversify the taste of almost any dish. Cheese is used to make sandwiches, snacks, salads, soups, etc. Given the original, spicy taste this product can be used to make sauces and dressings. Brie cheese goes well with fruits, vegetables and meat, so it can be called universal product. Serve it to red and white wine as well as champagne.

Brie cheese harm and contraindications

Brie cheese can harm the body when consumed in large quantities, as this can adversely affect the intestinal microflora.

Any cheeses, like fermented milk products, are certainly useful for humans. But there are varieties that are more than useful for the body, as they contain elements that are not only important, but also medicinal. One such product is Brie cheese, covered with a white coating, from which the antibiotic penicillin has been isolated.

Brie cheese composition

Brie cheese contains essential amino acids. They are so called because they are not synthesized inside the body and are not replaced by anything else.

Amino acids in the composition of brie cheese, and their role in the human body:

• Tyrosine - is involved in the synthesis of important hormones: adrenaline, melanin and dopamine;
• Tryptophan - provides the production of serotonin - an anti-stress hormone;
• Methionine - is part of the liver enzymes responsible for the neutralization of toxic substances.

at the expense high content of these amino acids improves mood without additional doping, although gourmets recommend Brie cheese to be consumed with Champagne. How can cheese improve your mood?

Elementary. Adrenaline raises the tone, because it speeds up all vital processes. Dopamine acts directly on the pleasure center, which is located in the cerebral cortex. At the same time, melanin smooths out the action of adrenaline, eliminating unnecessary effects in the form of an increase blood pressure. Serotonin tones digestive system for calm digestion of food, excluding stress factors that contribute to the development of stomach and duodenal ulcers. Finally, methionine provides positive emotions from the process itself - eating brie cheese.

Cheese contains a sufficient amount of polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are involved in the production of steroid hormones, including sex hormones. Fatty acids are called fatty acids only chemical formula- it is impossible to gain weight by eating brie cheese, which has about 300 calories. According to the calculations of people who are fond of diets, this number of kilocalories corresponds to one glass of sweet iced tea.

The most important trace element is calcium, due to the sufficient content of which the work of the following organs and systems is ensured:

• Neuromuscular transmission: conscious movements, including the use of fine motor skills. In "jewelry work", for example;
• Automatism and contractility of the heart muscle;
• Strengthening the walls of blood vessels in order to prevent varicose veins and hemorrhoids;
• Prevention of the destruction of tooth enamel with the development of caries;
• Strengthening bone tissue is especially important for the elderly and athletes.

Finally, about important element brie cheese, which is present only in its composition, unlike other cheeses. This is a white coating called mold. And this name is more microbiological than colloquial. A delicate and thin white film on the surface of the cheese is not a fungal mold growing on damp walls, but a very thin structure, inside which small mycelia ripen. They are the precursors of penicillin. pharmachologic effect the mold film is significantly lower than that of solutions and tablets of penicillin, but it is enough to suppress the activity of Staphylococcus aureus, accidentally ingested.

Brie Cheese: Recipes

Brie cheese recipes were developed in the province of the same name in France during the Louis dynasty. To date, using a similar technology, soft brie cheese is also prepared in other European countries and even in the United States of America. Americans, as they tend to, use all sorts of improvements and modifications: they add mushrooms, nuts, herbs. However, according to this recipe, brie cheese is made only in France.

All brie cheese recipes are not trade secrets, but their exact repetition does not give such taste and useful properties. The fact is that this product is prepared by hand from raw materials (cow's milk) obtained in France. An American or Kholmogory cow gives the same milk in composition, but not the same in quality. Grass in other parts of the world is somewhat different. In addition, after separating the whey, it is salted and placed in special cellars. They contain the necessary fungi, which turn into a white film on the surface of the cheese.

The finished product is stored in refrigerators, and be sure to give time to warm up to room temperature before use. Only after that the product acquires unique taste resembling a walnut. These are the recipes for brie cheese, a product that is not only exotic, but also the most useful.

Additional Benefits of Soft Brie Cheese

Brie cheese is useful not only for the important substances that it contains, but also for the absence of components that are harmful or potentially hazardous to health. So, in soft brie cheese there is no glucose, which makes it possible for diabetics to eat it. Also, due to the action of the mold film, the main element of dairy products - lactose - enters the human body in a bound state. This fact cannot go unnoticed by persons who cannot tolerate milk and weakly acidic dairy products.

Everything is good in moderation

Relatively low calorie brie cheese is not enough to be limited to one piece for the whole day. However, increasing the dose does not cover energy costs, on the contrary, it increases the load on the body.

For persons suffering from dysbacteriosis, blue cheese is also contraindicated. Additional intake of an antibiotic, even if only its predecessor, exacerbates the course of the disease. The normal intestinal microflora dies, and conditionally pathogenic bacteria multiply due to active division. However, dysbacteriosis is a temporary condition. After its treatment, contraindications for eating mold cheese are removed.

Delicious soft brie cheese is recommended for people exposed to sunlight: on the beaches. Accelerated production of melatonin protects the skin from sunburn. A person rests, the tan spreads evenly, the mood remains elevated, because such a small thing as eating brie cheese solves the problem of purchasing sunscreens and the effects of sunburn. In the same time, overuse blue cheese leads to intestinal disorders due to exposure to a noble mold containing a penicillin precursor.

Brie cheese, exotic or everyday?

Delicious blue brie cheese was a favorite delicacy French kings who respected him and used on holidays. Today we have the opportunity to submit royal dish to the table, both for a big celebration, and as an ordinary breakfast. The high price compensates for the pleasures guaranteed by brie cheese, the calorie content of which does not cause fear for the safety of the figure. And yet, blue cheese is not simple fermented milk product, but a kind of medicine, and its dosage is not recommended to be exceeded.

Brie - cheese in a snow-white robe

History and geography of the product

It was here, not far from Paris, that there was a kind of cheese center, where both cheese makers and merchants from all over the province of Ile-de-France gathered.
The subsequent generations of French rulers could not resist the charm of the creamy taste and delicate aroma of cheese. It is said with confidence about brie that this cheese is inextricably linked with the history of the country, and sometimes had a very serious influence on its course. So it happened in 1789, when Louis XVI, a great cheese lover, was forced to flee from popular wrath. Unable to resist the temptation to taste fresh brie, the king made a stop in the vicinity of Meaux. And the tasting was interrupted by the soldiers of the revolution, who overtook the fugitive monarch. So, love for the legendary cheese led Louis to the guillotine.

And after the victory of the French Revolution, the delicacy of kings and nobles was proclaimed a symbol of equality. But the triumph of people's power was short-lived, and the beginning of the 19th century was marked by completely tragic events. Following the victorious march of Napoleon's army, France was defeated. In 1815, the problem of passing borders in a changed Europe had to be solved. France was represented at the meeting by the great diplomat Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord, but his art was powerless in a situation where everyone wanted to bite off his piece from his defeated country.

It is not known whether the suggestion of the cunning duke to hold a tasting of European cheeses was a subtle political ploy or a desire to diversify the overly protracted negotiations, but such an event did take place. Diplomats were able to taste gouda from the Netherlands and fragrant Italian parmesan. The most famous cheeses were brought from Great Britain, Switzerland and, of course, France. But the choice turned out to be unanimous, and the crown was given to cheese in a regal ermine mantle - a magnificent brie.

This type of cheese with white mold is well known all over the world. It is called the elder brother of Camembert, and cheese makers of many countries, imitating the masters from Meaux, are trying to master its production. But true brie only comes from France.

Species and varieties

Brie de Meaux- this is the ancestor of the family, called Brie vu Valois or Royal. A cheese head weighing about 3 kg has a height of up to 8 cm and a diameter of 25 cm.

Brie de Melun- this cheese undergoes a longer aging than brie from Mo, which is expressed in its greater saltiness and sharpness. For the formation of a cheese clot, cheese makers from Melen do not use rennet limited to bacterial culture. The head of this brie weighs up to 1.5 kg, has a diameter of 24 cm and a height of about 4 cm.

These types of brie have been certified as AOC, that is, brands produced in a particular area. Brie is also made in Nangis and Montereau. And the last in the family french brie appeared Brie de Coulommiers with an unusual head size for this species. Its diameter is only 12 cm, and the weight can be less than 500 grams. Despite the similarity of the taste data of this cheese with the classic brie, true gourmets prefer to single it out, calling it simply Colomier.

The reverent attitude of the French towards traditions does not prevent cheese makers from offering lovers all new types of brie. Today, many varieties of this delicious cheese are produced. In addition to the classic brie, you can try cheese made from goat's or sheep's milk. There is brie with the addition herbs. And the adherents fatty cheeses can try double cheese, fat content up to 60% or even triple creamy brie containing up to 70% milk fat.

Beneficial features

It is impossible not to note the amino acids that make up the cheese, active cultures of bacteria and fungi. They help to improve digestion and regeneration, activating the synthesis of vitamins and metabolic processes. The noble mold of many cheeses contributes to protection against sunburn and the production of melanin. Cheeses are indispensable for problems with calcium absorption, regular physical activity and intensive growth.

But for all the usefulness of brie cheese, you should not abuse it. Its excess in the daily diet can lead to an imbalance in the intestinal microflora, exacerbation of gastritis and peptic ulcer. In some cases, an allergy to this type of cheese is also possible.

Taste qualities

Cheese has a relatively short lifespan. Young brie is soft and slightly sweet, but the older it gets, the more aromatic and spicy it becomes. Overripe brie can be distinguished by its greyish color, predominant ammonia odor, and dark spots on the rind.
The maturation process in a full head of brie is continuous and stops only when cut. Cheese is most fully revealed when room temperature, so it needs to warm up a bit before drinking.

Application in cooking

If a slice of cheese is wrapped with chicken or fish fillet, then the baked roll will become a nutritious and tasty dinner. Cheese goes well with meat and vegetables, being part of casseroles, pates and other dishes. It can be added to pasta or fine sauces.
The original combination of this unique cheese with melon, grapes and green apples, many berries and nuts makes chefs create more and more new salads, snacks and gourmet pastry. Brie becomes a highlight in cottage cheese desserts and puff pastry products, light cakes.

And yet, to feel the fullness of the taste of a mature brie, you need a real french breakfast- fresh croissant delicate stuffing from this cheese and coffee. And a worthy end to the day will be the same brie served with Bordeaux from St. Julien or Burgundian Vosne Romanee.