Commentary
Brie de Meaux has been well-known since the Middle Ages and has a very distinguished past in which it has been appreciated by writers and royalty alike. Charlemagne enjoyed the cheese; Phillippe Auguste gave it as New Year's presents to the ladies at court; Henri IV and Queen Margot feasted on it at amourous parties and Louis XVI asked for some after his arrest at Varennes. In 1815 during the Congress of Vienna where 30 European diplomats were assembled for the task of reorganising Europe after the defeat of Napolean, there was a banquet for the plenipotentary where each person was served their favourite cheese. As an idea to relieve the boredom of the negotiations, a competition was declared to select the best of all the cheese available. Talleyrand suggested his favourite, the Brie de Meaux, made by a farmer named Baulny from Villeroy, and it was subsequently named "Roi des Fromages", or "King of Cheeses".
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Product Detail
Type of Milk
Cow
Pasteurisation
Unpasteurised
Vegetarian
No
Country
Product of France
Region
Ile de France
Organic
No
Flavour
Earthy and fruity
Recommended Drink
Bougogne
Weight
250g
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It takes 25 litres of whole milk to produce one brie of approximately 2.5kg. After separating the curds from the whey, the curds are put in a mould where they drain for three days before being placed on racks and sprinkled with penicillen mould and salt. The whole maturation process takes at least one month, often nearer two, when the ripe Bries have a rind covered with white mould that is speckled with reddish pigments.
The texture should be even and lightly creamy, not granular. and supple and smooth without being runny. It should have a pronounced and appealing fruity flavour with a suggestion of nuts and an earthy perfume.