Brie de Meaux
Charlemagne loved this soft cow’s milk cheese so much that he ordered two shipments per year. During the French Revolution Louis XVI is said to have asked for a last bite of this cheese before he was arrested. Talleyrand consolidated this cheese’s fame in the 19th century: He organized a competition to find out which nation made the best cheese. Brie de Meaux was the winner. Today it is available as artisanal or as industrial cheese.

Production
To obtain one cheese, 23 liters of milk are needed. The curd is obtained by adding rennet to the milk and heating it to a maximum temperature of 37°C. The curd is then cast into perforated molds with a ladle called “pelle à Brie”. The molds are drained at high air humidity. The cheese is then treated with salt, which counterbalances its mild sweetness in an ideal manner. It is aged in a cool cellar. The rind develops a velvety white Penicillium mold, and the body turns a straw-colored yellow.

The delight
Brie develops its full aroma at room temperature. It has a slightly moldy scent, the body is compact. If very ripe it almost melts away. It has a creamy taste with a hint of mushroom aroma. Brie that is too young tastes like carrots; when fully ripe it is very savory with a hint of ammonia. Brie is served with salad, crisp bread and Beaujolais or Burgundy.

Milk:	Cow
Fidm:	45 %
Family:	Soft cheese with surface mold
Origin:	Seine-et-Marne region, France
Size:	approx. 2.8 kg
Flavor:	reminiscent of fresh mushrooms