Bewitching Brie

Beautiful, bewitching brie

One of the world’s greatest cheeses, Brie is a soft-ripened cow’s milk cheese named after the historic French region where it originated. The elegant cheese is characterised by a smooth, edible, white downy rind, and a creamy rich, buttery interior. Very soft and savoury, Brie practically oozes at the peak of ripeness with earthy mushroom overtones.

The white mouldy Brie rind is edible and eaten along with the softer interior. If you don’t want to eat the rind, trim refrigerated Brie or bring the cheese to room temperature, cut, and scoop out the soft centre with a spoon.

Tip : When serving Brie with wine, it’s best to remove the rind, as its salty overtones will overpower the vintage.

Hard, underripe Brie won’t ripen once you get it home. It’s not worth the chance. Underripe Brie will feel hard when gently pressed with your finger, while overripe Brie will feel too soft and runny to the touch. The exterior should be firm, while the centre should be springy but not watery.

Overripe Brie will have a brownish, gummy rind and smell like ammonia.

Look for Brie that’s no more than 2.5 cm, about 1 inch, thick, with a sweet odour. It should appear slightly bulging within the rind. Thicker rounds will be overripe on the edges and underripe in the center.

Don’t be concerned if the rind shows some pale brown edges as long as the cheese is resilient to the touch.

Once you get it home, Brie should be refrigerated and eaten within a few days.

Top quality Brie is made in Tasmania. Tasmanian Heritage Double Brie is made with added cream which produces a mild and delicate nutty taste with a clean finish, offering a creamier and fuller flavour compared to traditional bries.

Brie has been manufactured in one form or another since the eighth century, and was popular with French royalty before becoming beloved by the people as well. According to legend, Charlemagne had his first taste of Brie in 774 and instantly fell in love with it.

The creamy centre and edible, though tasteless, rind have wound their way into the hearts of cheese lovers everywhere. And rightly so!

Brie is a gastronomical luxury whether served at room temperature or smoothly melted into cooked recipes. Top a round with your favourite flavour of jam and bake in the oven until the cheese starts to ooze. Or, toss chunks of Brie (rind removed) with cooked pasta like rotini or cavatappi for a very sophisticated macaroni and cheese.

And while an elegant option for any occasion, Brie is perhaps at its best when packed in a romantic picnic lunch for two. Spread it on crackers, croissants, or crusty breads and enjoy with fruits like green apples, strawberries, pears, and grapes. Brie also loves the company of a good wine – pair it with Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Merlot or Champagne.

Here’s a lovely taste – Baked Brie with Sticky Plum Sauce