Brie Cheese
Alouette® Baby Brie®
What Makes a Great Brie?
Probably the most popular French cheese, brie is noted for its distinctive creamy flavor and aroma. Brie's white coating and buttery center make it the most easily-recognized cheese, and it's an instant hit on a cheese platter or at a picnic. It can also be served baked, which can intensify its aroma and flavor.
Our chefs define high-quality Brie as being somewhere between ivory and yellow in color, but never dull gray or stark white. While brie should never be a brazenly stinky cheese, it should be aged long enough to develop a bold and complex aroma that is highlighted by its dairy notes. In its taste profile, brie's saltiness should be balanced by its sourness. Its flavor should be buttery, savory and pungent.
Along with a creamy middle, the tender rind should not be waxy, which our chefs define as "when a product leaves a coating on the palate that does not dissipate." There should be no inappropriate off notes, which could detract from the overall flavor. Finally, the cheese should have a clean finish.
Product Category Definition
The product judged was defined as brie cheese for the consumer market, not including any other types of cheese.
Ile de France®
President®
The ChefsBest® Award for Best Taste is awarded to the brand rated highest overall among leading brands by independent professional chefs.
One-Step Ideas
- Peel rind and stir into mashed potatoes.
- Slice and layer in sandwiches.
- Place slices between baguette sliced lengthwise and bake to melt. Cut into pieces for cheese bread.
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Flavor Balance
A measurement of how well a food product matches the expected profile of flavors.
Example: If there is too much garlic in a marinara sauce, the flavor of garlic will dominate the other flavors, making the overall flavor unbalanced.
Bitter Intensity
The measurement of perceived bitterness in a particular food.
Example: Brewed coffee sometimes has a strong bitter intensity.
- First produced near Paris in the 8th century, the original brie was known as the "King's Cheese."
- Charlemagne, according to an 8th century legend, fell in love with brie after tasting it.
- The white crust covering brie is actually an edible mold that forms during the ripening process.