Brie de Meaux

This large cheese has been declared the « Prince of cheeses and first in desserts »!
A soft-ripened cheese with a bloomy rind, Brie de Meaux is exclusively made from raw, whole cow’s milk.
It is said that Louis XVI was guillotined because of Brie de Meaux! Indeed, when the fleeing monarch stopped to enjoy a pancake made with this cheese in Varennes-en-Argonne, he was recognized and forcefully brought back to Paris. At the 1815 Congress of Vienna, this cheese once again made headlines.
It has been attributed a registered designation of origin (AOC) since 1980 and a protected designation of origin (AOP) since 1996.
Today the production area of Brie de Meaux stretches along the entire eastern Paris Basin (the entire département of Seine-et-Marne in addition to parts of Yonne, Aube, Marne, Meuse, and Haute-Marne).

Its rind is covered by scant white down and can be dotted with reddish spots when it has been matured for a long time; the ivory colored paste shows small holes. The center can be white and chalky when the cheese is still relatively young.

Brie de Meaux has a creamy, soft texture, and can become runny at the end of its maturation. Its aroma is well-developed, and can be redolent of moist earth and even the barnyard. The taste reveals nice hazelnut, fresh mushroom and raw milk flavors.