Let me introduce you to a cheese that is very popular in France and far beyond its borders. Brie (French Brie) - soft cheese from cow's milk. The name of the cheese was given by the French province of Brie, in which this cheese was originally produced (the territory of the modern department of Seine-et-Marne). The cheese has a fairly pale color with a slight grayish tint under a crust of white mold; very soft and savory with a subtle hint of ammonia. The white crust is edible and does not need to be cut off before eating.
The name of the Brie region in the original is feminine (la Brie), however French products acquire the genus of a general category. Thus, the word "cheese" (le fromage) is male, which means the name of the variety is also masculine - le Brie.
Brie is made from whole or part skim milk. For getting curd mass added to milk rennet extract, then it is heated to a maximum temperature of 37°C (98.6°F). Then the cheese is sent to special forms and sometimes into traditional ladles with holes called "pelle à brie". 20cm molds are filled with several thin layers of cheese and then dried for approximately 18 hours. After this, the cheese is removed from the molds, salted, covered with mold (Penicillium candidum, Penicillium camemberti and/or Brevibacterium linens) and kept in cellars for at least 4-5 weeks.
If kept longer, usually from several months to a year, the cheese becomes rich taste and aroma, and its crust is much darker and more crumbly. This cheese is called Brie Noir, translated from French as black Brie. Throughout the Ile-de-France region where Brie is produced, the French love to eat Brie for breakfast and dip it in café au lait. The longer Brie is kept, the higher the concentration of ammonia in it, which has a very bad smell. It is secreted by microorganisms during the ripening process.
There are many varieties of Brie on the market today, including classic, green, double and triple Brie, and various types milk. But despite this diversity, the French government has awarded only two types with official certificates: Brie de Meaux and Brie de Melun.
Brie de Meaux has been produced outside of Paris since the 8th century. Its first name was “Cheese of the King” (later, after the French Revolution, the cheese became known as the “king of cheeses”), it was loved by both ordinary peasants and the nobility. In 1980, the cheese received an AOC certificate of authenticity (Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée). It is mainly produced in the eastern part of the Paris Basin.
You can buy either a whole head of Brie or a piece. The cheese is cut along the radius of the head, and not across. The white, velvety crust is not only edible; cutting it off is considered bad manners.
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Brie - cheese in a snow-white mantle
History and geography of the product
“I experienced incomparable pleasure!”- this phrase of Charlemagne, uttered by the monarch in 744, became the starting point in the history of one of the most famous cheeses in France. It is not known where the king of the Franks had the opportunity to taste brie, but this delicacy was made in the town of Meaux.It was here, very close to Paris, that there was a kind of cheese center, where both cheese makers and traders from all over the province of Ile-de-France gathered.
Resist the charm of the creamy taste and subtle aroma Subsequent generations of French rulers could not produce cheese either. They say 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. This happened in 1789, when Louis XVI, a great lover of cheese, was forced to flee from popular anger. 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. Thus, 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 take a piece of his defeated country.
It is unknown whether the cunning Duke’s proposal to hold a tasting of European cheeses was a subtle political ploy or a desire to diversify the negotiations that had dragged on beyond measure, but such an event actually took place. The diplomats were able to taste gouda from the Netherlands and aromatic Italian parmesan. The most famous cheeses were brought from Great Britain, Switzerland and, of course, France. But the choice was unanimous, and the crown was given to a cheese in a regal ermine mantle - a magnificent brie.
This type of white mold cheese is well known throughout the world. It is called the elder brother of Camembert, and cheese makers in many countries, imitating the masters from Meaux, are trying to master its production. But real brie comes only from France.
Types and varieties
Beneath the crust with a thin layer of unique, white mold, brie contains a straw-colored cheese pulp with a delicate, runny consistency. Classic cheese made from cow's milk. And the demand for this type of cheese forced cheesemakers from other regions of France to master its production, so gourmets can taste several types of real brie, named after the place where the cheese is produced.Brie de Meaux- This is the ancestor of the family, called Brie vu Valois or Royal. A cheese wheel 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 process than Meaux brie, which results in its greater saltiness and spiciness. To form a cheese curd, cheesemakers from Melun do not use rennet enzymes, limiting themselves only 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 were certified as AOC, that is, brands produced in a specific area. Nangis and Montereau also produce their own brie. And the last to appear in the French brie family was Brie de Coulommiers with an unusual head size for this species. Its diameter is only 12 cm, and its weight can be less than 500 grams. Despite the similarity of the taste of this cheese with classic brie, true gourmets they prefer to distinguish him by simply calling him Colomier.
The French reverent attitude towards traditions does not prevent cheese makers from offering lovers more and more new types of brie. Today many varieties of this delicious cheese are produced. In addition to classic brie, you can try goat cheese or sheep's milk. There is brie with added herbs. And lovers of fatty cheeses can try double cheese, fat content up to 60% or even a triple cream brie containing up to 70% milk fat.
Beneficial features
The main asset of brie cheese is milk protein and calcium in active form. But, besides this, it contains many B vitamins. There are also vitamins that are important for vital functions such as A, D, E, K. In the list useful substances many micro and macroelements. These are potassium and magnesium, sodium, manganese and phosphorus, as well as iron, selenium, copper and zinc.It is impossible not to note the amino acids included in the cheese, active cultures of bacteria and fungi. They help improve digestion and regeneration, activating the synthesis of vitamins and metabolic processes. Noble mold many cheeses helps protect against sunburn and melanin production. Cheeses are indispensable for problems with calcium absorption, regular physical activity and intensive growth.
But despite all the benefits of brie cheese, you shouldn’t overuse it. Its excess in the daily diet can lead to an imbalance of intestinal microflora, exacerbation of gastritis and peptic ulcer. In some cases, an allergy to this type of cheese is possible.
Taste qualities
Brie is covered with a velvet-like white mold, in which yellow or reddish threads may be visible. This mold with a distinct ammonia aroma has no taste and harmonizes perfectly with the delicate, ready-to-spread cheese mass. Deli cheese filled creamy taste with notes of fruit, hazel or forest mushrooms.The cheese has enough short period of time life. Young brie is soft and somewhat sweet, but the older it gets, the more aromatic and spicier it becomes. Overripe brie can be identified by its grayish color, a predominant ammonia smell, and dark spots on the rind.
The ripening process in a full head of brie is continuous and stops only when cut. The cheese opens most fully when room temperature, so it needs to warm up a little before using.
Use in cooking
Once crowned with a crown, cheese can truly reign on the table of any gourmet. Its place is not only on a cheese plate or a slice of baguette. Brie will be appropriate in many salads and snack cakes. It's a savory addition to fondue, and batter-fried brie served with green salad and cherry tomatoes - an excellent, independent dish.If you wrap a slice of cheese with chicken or fish fillet, then a 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 a subtle sauce.
The original combination of this unique cheese with melon, grapes and green apples, many berries and nuts forces chefs to create new salads, snacks and gourmet pastries. Brie becomes the highlight in curd desserts and puff pastry products, light cakes.
And yet, to feel the full taste of mature brie, you need real french breakfast– fresh croissant with delicate filling of this cheese and coffee. And a worthy end to the day will be the same brie served with Bordeaux from St. Julien or Burgundy Vosne Romanee.
He was loved back 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're talking about Brie: cheese with centuries-old history. No one is indifferent to it: some are put off by the aroma of ammonia and the appearance of white mold, while others admire the delicate creamy center.
Brie cheese - what is it?
Born near Paris, named after the place of production, known since the 8th century, it is the king among cheeses and is valued no less Italian Parmesan, although they can hardly be compared. Brie is a soft cheese with white mold, made from unpasteurized cow's milk. In appearance, the “head” resembles a pie or flatbread, 5 cm high, and the diameter ranges from 30 to 60 cm. The right product has a crust with a velvety-looking mold white, occasionally having reddish inclusions, and always a light gray tint.
A few key features:
- In France, only 2 varieties undergo authentication certification: de Meaux and de Melun.
- If this variety is produced in America or Australia, the milk must be pasteurized according to the standards of these countries.
- The taste depends on age: the younger the cheese, the less pungency it has. The duration of ripening can be determined by the thickness of the cake: the thinnest is characteristic of 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 the crust - it is also useful element, dangerous only high concentration penicillin.
Brie and Camembert - what's the difference?
Those who are new to French soft cheeses, do not see a clear difference between their varieties. People are especially actively wondering how Brie differs from Camembert. In the photo they are very similar: the same circle shape, the same white mold on a hard crust, formed by the fungus bacterium 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 ripening time for Camembert is 3 weeks, and Brie must ripen for 28 days or more.
- home taste difference– fat content: in Camembert it is higher – 40% versus 25%.
- Brie is sold in triangles, and Camembert is not cut and packed in a wooden box.
- Camembert smells sharper, lacks nutty notes, and the core is creamy yellow.
What do they eat with?
Belonging to a number of classic varieties that are used to create cheese plate mixed type, 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 first courses and sauces due to its meltability), or as an additive to coffee. Serving temperature is 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.
Calorie content
This product has a fat content percentage and energy value vary depending on age, which characterizes almost every elite cheese. Brie can be light or normal in terms of fat content, which is predominantly 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, it will be only 291 kcal for the 25% variety, and the protein will contain 21 grams.
Benefits and harms
Relatively low calorie content and fat content, a large number of minerals, vitamins, protein, no carbohydrates and very low lactose make Brie good option relatively dietary product. What are the benefits and harms of Brie cheese? Antibiotics produced by the penicillin fungus are dangerous for people with intolerance to this element, pregnant women and people suffering from dysbacteriosis. For the rest, the consumption of this cheese should be reduced to 50 g per day.
However positive properties he has more:
- White mold helps intestinal function.
- Active consumption of this cheese is a natural prevention of caries.
- In terms of the proportion of phosphorus and zinc needed by bone tissue, this variety is superior to others.
- If you are lactose intolerant, Brie is not contraindicated.
Brie at home
If you can’t buy the desired product, you can try to master its production. The technology is significantly easier than when working with durum varieties although search required components may still cause some difficulties. Brie at home can be prepared 2 months in advance (ripening period), after which the product should be consumed in approximately 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:
- Heat the milk in a water bath to 31 degrees.
- Sprinkle mold powder on top. After folding (waiting 6-7 minutes), stir.
- Pour in the diluted citric acid and the same rennet (according to the manufacturer's instructions). Stir, cover.
- After 1.5 hours, cut with a sharp knife into pieces with sides of 2.5 centimeters.
- Warm up to 45 degrees in the same water bath (minimum power), wait for the curd mass to settle. Drain the whey through cheesecloth.
- Let the cheese sit in round shape, covered with cloth, 3 hours.
- Move to transparent white (!) Plastic container, placing it on a stand so that the separated whey can drain. Over the next 4 days you will need to turn the cheese periodically.
- On the 5th day, sprinkle with salt and allow to ripen in darkness and cold for 14 days until mold appears.
- Turn over and wait another 2 weeks: the mold should cover the cheese completely.
Recipes with Brie cheese
All varieties of this product are in demand among chefs when creating main courses, sauces, appetizers, and desserts. It can even be fried and served with a sour berry dressing. Recipes with Brie cheese are present in almost every kitchen. European country. If you are just getting acquainted with this product and have not fully appreciated the smell and taste, start culinary experiments with salads.
Salad
As previously stated, this product goes well with fruits and nuts, so it is actively used by chefs for salads, which will add a delicate creamy note. Their composition can be almost anything, but you shouldn’t add animal protein to it - it’s better to choose seafood. If you are looking holiday option, try a simple salad with Brie cheese, avocado, grapefruit and toasted pine nuts.
Ingredients:
- lettuce – 110 g;
- grapefruit – 170 g;
- avocado – 200 g;
- Brie – 100 g;
- pine nuts (kernels) – 70 g;
- salt.
Cooking method:
- Remove membranes from grapefruit slices and cut into small pieces.
- Remove the pit from the avocado, remove the skin, and cut the pulp in the same way.
- Leaf salad wash, blot with napkins. Tear coarsely.
- Fry the nuts (do not add oil) until golden brown.
- Combine these components, add salt, mix, and arrange in a mound. Evenly distribute cheese cut into square pieces on top.
Pie
Desserts with this elite product delight everyone who tries even a small piece. Open french pie with Bree on sand based ideal for a holiday or even to add some variety to your regular breakfast. Crispy bottom layer, soft center, sweetness of pears and creamy taste of cheese - this recipe for a magical treat will become your favorite with a minimum of effort. If desired, Brie can be replaced here with Camembert.
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:
- Keep it simple shortbread dough, grinding cold butter crumbs with sugar, flour and egg yolks. Cool before stretching into round shape. The height of the sides should be about 4 cm.
- Bake at 200 degrees for 10 minutes.
- Peel the pears, cut them into thin slices, and place them inside the pie base. Sprinkle lemon juice.
- Place cheese cut into wide slices on top, pour in a mixture of sour cream and whipped egg whites and vanilla sugar.
- Continue baking at the same temperature until the pie filling is browned.
Price
Food sanctions have seriously affected the range of food products and their prices, so find Bree High Quality(especially French) and it became difficult not to pay half the salary for it. The price of Brie cheese per 100 g piece starts from 200 rubles. and is determined by how long it matured, by whom and where it was produced. Approximate price range:
- The Russian brand VitaLat offers 0.15 kg of 60% Brie for 280 rubles.
- The same Russian Alti asks for 250 rubles. already for 0.125 kg. The cheese is also 60%.
- Cheese with 60% fat content from the President brand will cost 209 rubles. for 100 g.
- The Swiss version with 50% fat costs 330 rubles. for 100 g or 876 rub. for 230 g (small flatbread, not a piece).
- French-Swiss cheese with a fat content of 55% costs 340 rubles. for 100 g.
Video
There are many foods that, not so long ago, were completely inaccessible to most people. Now almost every one of us can purchase them - in large supermarkets, specialized retail outlets or, as a last resort, on the Internet. Just such products include different types cheeses And the topic of our conversation today will be Brie and Camembert cheeses. We will give reviews of the cheeses from those who have tried them, we will clarify how to eat them correctly, we will consider what the benefits and harms of Camembert and Brie can be, we will clarify how these cheeses differ and what their price is.
What is the difference between Brie cheese and Camembert cheese??
Both of these types of cheese are made from cow's milk, using, in principle, quite similar technologies. Both soft cow cheeses are covered with a tough, moldy rind. Both Brie and Camembert use cream during cooking, but the proportions are different. So, Brie cheese contains sixty percent milk fat, and Camembert only forty-five. Among other things, when preparing Camembert, strong lactic acid cultures are introduced five times, due to which finished product has a more pronounced smell and taste. In Brie, lactic acid cultures are added only once, so Brie is distinguished by its softness and tenderness.
Brie has a light oily smell and a salty taste; to some, its smell resembles the aroma of hazelnuts. Camembert may have a more strange aroma - cow, mushroom, hay (amber depends on the aging process - on refining). To many, its smell is similar to that of fresh champignons.
By appearance Brie and Camembert heads are also different. So, Brie looks more oval and tall, and Camembert looks flatter. Most often, Camembert is sold in a certain size (the diameter of the circle is eleven centimeters, and the height is three centimeters) and weight – two hundred and fifty grams. If you evaluate the internal contents by eye, then Brie most often turns white inside, and Camembert has a deep yellowish color. Extra-ripe Camembert is characterized by liquid “innards”, which not every person likes, but is considered especially valuable quality.
Distinctive feature Camembert – packed in a wooden box.
Cheese price
The price of cheeses varies at different retail outlets. So, 250 grams of Camembert cheese can be bought for about four hundred and fifty rubles. And the price of Brie weighing 250 grams is about five hundred rubles.
How to eat Camembert correctly?
Because Camembert is different high degree fatty, when stored in the refrigerator it becomes solidified, like butter. And when cold, its taste and aroma are not felt at all. Therefore, it is necessary to remove the cheese to the table in advance and keep it at room temperature for about half an hour. While it is hard, you can cut it into segments, like a cake.
Before you start tasting Camembert, set your table with a variety of fresh fruit and nuts. This variety cheese is considered dessert. It is quite possible to combine it with sour jam, for example, cranberry or currant.
Many lovers use Camembert to create a cheese plate, serving other types of cheese on the board along with it. In addition to such a product, readers of Popular Health can use various young red wines characterized by low tannin. Cider or Calvados would also be a good choice.
It is worth noting that Camembert with white mold was not originally a dessert. It was eaten by the most ordinary Norman peasants. Therefore, it is quite possible to prepare hot sandwiches with it or add it to pies. Since this cheese melts easily, you can use it for a kind of fondue, dipping a fresh crispy baguette into the melted mass.
How to eat Brie correctly?
If you want to try Brie cheese with white mold, do not try to peel it; you should eat such cheese with a crust. It goes well with all kinds of fruits, nuts and bread. So, true lovers of this product recommend eating it with apples or pears.
Others prefer Brie accompanied by fig jam, honey or sweet cherry compote. More like this cheese treat goes well with French bread, almonds or candied walnuts. It can also be eaten with white crackers.
As for drinks, this blue cheese can be combined with champagne, some types of wine and quite strong beer. This type of cheese is ideally complemented by dry wines such as Riesling or Marsanne. It is also quite possible to emphasize the juiciness and amazing taste of this product with Viognier or more light red wines such as Pinot Noir.
If alcohol is not in your plans, you can eat Brie with apple cider or similar juice.
Brie cheese is also great for culinary experiments. It is baked as part of sweet pies, combined with delicious fish(salmon), used to make pesto or cheese sauce.
What are the benefits of Camembert cheese??
Camembert cheese can bring great benefit the body, because it is a source of a lot of useful (essential) amino acids. It is believed that such a product will be especially useful for those people who face intense physical or mental stress every day.
Camembert contains a lot of calcium and phosphorus, so it is worth eating for arthritis and arthrosis, various injuries and fractures. It is advisable to include it in your diet at the stage of active growth of the body and during the formation of all skeletal bones.
Periodic consumption of Camembert helps to avoid problems in activity nervous system, as well as in the condition of the teeth. A distinctive feature of this cheese is its minimal lactose content, so it extremely rarely causes allergic reactions– individual intolerance.
Possible harm Camembert
Doctors strongly do not recommend eating Camembert for children under seven years of age, as well as for women carrying a child. This recommendation is explained by the high probability of infection with listeriosis, because in the manufacture of such cheese only unpasteurized milk.
In addition, due to its high fat content, this product is not recommended for those with hypertension, increased blood pressure and the amount of cholesterol in the blood, as well as overweight. Camembert cheese must be consumed in small quantities so as not to overload the body (no more than fifty grams per day).
Benefits of Brie
Brie cheese can also be very beneficial for the body. Like Camembert, it perfectly saturates our body with calcium and phosphorus, which strengthen bone tissue and teeth. In addition, such a product is a source of provitamin A, necessary for the full functioning of vision and for the synthesis of collagen, which is important for maintaining the beauty of the skin. B vitamins in Brie cheese improve the functioning of the heart and nervous system, help eliminate the feeling of excessive fatigue and cope with insomnia.
Like Camembert, Brie contains virtually no lactose, which makes it non-allergenic.
Brie cheese is also a source of bulk essential amino acids and bacteria affecting the work digestive tract. There is evidence that the benefits of cheese when eaten include that it reduces the likelihood of developing caries and sunburn.
Possible harm of Brie cheese
It is better not to give this product to small children, pregnant and lactating women. It is better not to get carried away with it if you have diseases of the heart and blood vessels, as well as obesity. Even completely healthy people It is better not to eat more than fifty grams of this cheese per day.
Of course, it is worth considering the possibility of an allergic intolerance to Brie cheese.
Brie cheese is one of the most famous French cow's milk cheeses, characterized by a soft texture with a pale, almost grayish tint and a white moldy rind. The taste is delicate and soft, almost creamy, becoming sharp as it ripens.
The moldy crust has a pronounced ammonia aroma, but is edible. Brie cheese happens different varieties and is usually produced in the form of a flat cake with a diameter of 30-60 cm and a thickness of up to 5 cm. This cheese is considered universal, as it is also suitable for festive table and for a regular meal, and is also used for dessert. The taste depends on the variety and ranges from fruity to mushroom. The cheese gets its name from the French province of Brie, where it was first created. There are three varieties of this cheese: Brie de Meaux, Brie de Melun and Brie de Columier.
Brie cheese has been around for many centuries and is known as the cheese of kings. Often, crowned heads presented Brie cheese as a gift to their favorites and ladies of the court. This was the most beloved and long-awaited dessert gift.
Brie cheese flavor
This cheese is produced at any time of the year. It matures for at least four weeks. Young Brie cheese has delicate taste, ripe – spicy. It is believed that what thinner flatbread Brie cheese, the sharper and more piquant it tastes. Ripened Brie cheese has a denser texture, while young Brie cheese is more like butter. The fat content of the cheese is about 25%. Optimal temperature cheese storage 0 +2 °C. It is best to enjoy cheese at room temperature, which allows you to reveal all its taste.
Brie cheese goes well with various wines, because its taste, like the taste of wine, is varied and unique.
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