Know your Cheese: Brie

Learn about Brie, where it was first made, what types there are, what other ingredients it pairs well with and how to use it in cooking today.

“She slapped a few slices of bacon on the heated griddle. Sizzling started immediately and the scent of rising coconut cake mingled with the smoky salt of bacon. “Heaven.” She buttered day-old baguettes to toast, then cracked a few eggs for breakfast sandwiches. “Now some cheese. Brie? Emmental? Mmm, smoky onion Cheddar.”

– Amy E. Reichert, The Coincidence of Coconut Cake

Known as the ‘Queen of Cheeses’, Brie is a soft cheese with a bloomed white mould rind. Traditionally made with unpasteurised cow’s milk, the cheese itself has a smooth and creamy texture.

Even though Brie is covered in an edible mould rind, it’s not considered a ‘funky’ cheese like a blue cheese would be. Brie tastes a little grassy and nutty, with only the more mature wheels tasting faintly of earth and mushroom, like the Brie Noir.

Beware the overripe Brie; though not harmful to eat, the heavy ammonia smell and taste makes eating it not pleasant at all!

Watch the video below to learn more about Brie, and for a handy list of ingredients to pair with the cheese (time stamp 0:01:46).

Don’t forget to check out some quick ideas and a Brie recipe roundup below the video as well!

Learn all about Brie:

Did you know?

King Henry IV loved Brie so much he preferred sharing a wheel of the cheese with his wife, Queen Margot, than visiting his mistress, Gabrielle d’Estrees.

Quick Ideas Using Brie

Just eat it! Brie is so creamy and buttery it rarely needs accompaniments to be enjoyed! Slice off a piece, put it on a cracker or fresh bread and you’re on your way to a happy place. Though, if you’re so inclined, a drizzle of honey or a smear of jam is good too.

Include Brie on your next cheeseboard. A good cheeseboard has at least one soft cheese on it, so why not choose the queen of cheeses?

Use it as a filling. Stuff mushrooms, capsicums, chicken, pastry, bread, soft pretzels and more with brie (rind on or off, your choice).

Melt it. Brie melts really well and not as oily as you would first imagine. It’s particularly good melted in sandwiches, in pasta sauces and on pizza. And if you want to impress your guests with time and effort, make a baked Brie and top it with seasonal fruit and nuts and lots of crackers for people to dip into.

Speaking of melting, make Brie croutons to top off your next vegetable soup. Trust me.

Experiment. Sub Brie in place of other cheese and see what you come up with!

Brie Recipes to Try

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The Most Popular Appetizer

Baked Brie by A Couple Cooks

No one is unhappy when a baked brie comes out… except for the lactose intolerant, who have my sincere condolences (though there are a few good lactose-free cheeses on the market now). This is your go-to for tips on how to bake and customize a baked brie.

Check out this recipe