What Is Brie?

Brie is the best known French cheese and has a nickname "The Queen of Cheeses".

Brie is a soft, creamy off-white or yellow cheese with an edible rind. It is made from cow's milk and is usually sold in small rounds. This white cheese pairs well with tart fruit like apples and salty foods like ham. Use brie when it's cold or at room temperature for sandwiches and use melted brie for dishes like crostini or even grilled cheese. Known as a smooth or flowing melting cheese, brie adds smoothness and richness to any dish it's melted into.

Brie is considered to be one of the world's great cheeses. It is simple and versatile, and it goes well with champagne, nuts, and fruit.

True French Brie is a soft farmhouse cheese made from unpasteurized cow's milk. In France, Brie is very different from the cheese exported to the United States. "Real" French Brie is unstabilized and the flavour is complex when the surface turns slightly brown. When the cheese is still pure-white, it is not matured. If the cheese is cut before the maturing process, it will never develop properly. Exported Brie, however, is stabilized and never matures. Stabilized Brie has a much longer shelf life and is not susceptible to bacteriological infections.

Refrigerate Brie in its original packaging until you are ready to eat it. Then take it from the refrigerator and allow about an hour for the cheese to come to room temperature for the best flavor and texture. After cutting into a piece of brie, it begins to lose quality immediately. Plan to eat it within five days. You can serve the entire Brie on a plate or cheese board or cut just a few narrow slices for a sandwich or salad.

When you need to cut Brie in large quantities, you can use an automatic ultrasonic cheese cutter to cut the Brie quickly, and of course there are many cheese makers that offer rectangular sheet brie. Ultrasonic cheese cutters are mainly supplied to cheese makers and are designed exclusively for their individual needs, allowing quick switching of cut patterns in several shapes.

Written by Sophia Chen