{"id":91156,"date":"2023-01-21T10:38:30","date_gmt":"2023-01-20T23:38:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/theproject.com.au\/myfrenchlife\/?p=91156"},"modified":"2023-03-15T13:36:17","modified_gmt":"2023-03-15T02:36:17","slug":"brie-de-melun-the-wonder-of-fromage-unveiling-one-french-cheese-at-a-time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theproject.com.au\/myfrenchlife\/2023\/01\/21\/brie-de-melun-the-wonder-of-fromage-unveiling-one-french-cheese-at-a-time\/","title":{"rendered":"Brie de Melun: The wonder of Fromage \u2013 unveiling one French cheese at a time"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n<p><strong>If you come to France and say your favorite cheese is Brie, you\u2019re gonna have to be a bit more specific. The category of Brie encompasses a wide variety of different cheeses, from the pasteurized Brie de Nangis, the recipe for which inspired the Brie exported to the U.S., to the slightly scary-looking Brie noir, a greyish Brie with the texture of Parmesan and a present whiff of ammonia.<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>There\u2019s Coulommiers, aka Mother Brie, with its Camembert-esque funk. There\u2019s personality-driven Brie de Provins and fudgy Brie de Montereau, not to mention a host of Bries filled with anything from truffle to mustard. And then, of course, there are the two protected Bries \u2013 the only two AOP cheeses in Ile-de-France: <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Brie_de_Meaux\">Brie de Meaux<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/fr.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Brie_de_Melun\">Brie de Melun<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>Of the two, Brie de Meaux is definitely the better-known, and that\u2019s no surprise. Boasting a milder flavor and a stark white rind, Brie de Meaux boasts a creamy texture and a briny, almost oyster-like aroma beneath the dominant flavors of mushrooms and fallen leaves.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>It\u2019s a cheese that\u2019s easy to love. Brie de Melun is another beast entirely.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span style=\"color: #d10a26;\">A True Stinker of a Cheese<\/span><\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>When I ask <strong>Benoit Gourdon<\/strong> of the Interprofessional Union of both AOP Bries to cite the major similarities between the two kinds of cheese, he laughs. \u201cThe only one is the shape,\u201d he says. \u201cRound.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>Quippiness aside, the cheeses truly couldn\u2019t be more different.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\r\n<li><strong>Brie de Meaux<\/strong> is large, thin, and starkly white, weighing an average of about three kilos and measuring around 37 centimeters in diameter.<\/li>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<li><strong>Brie de Melun<\/strong> has a far thicker rind dappled with red, orange, or brown splotches, and it\u2019s much smaller, weighing just 1.5 to 2.2 kilos for its 27 centimeters.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>And their physical appearance is just the beginning of what distinguishes these two cheeses from one another. \u201cWith Meaux, you really get something nutty,\u201d says Gourdon, \u201cwhereas with Melun, it\u2019s a bit saltier and more assertive in flavor.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>For <strong>Isabelle Hedin<\/strong>, a fifth-generation artisan ager of Brie at the Fromagerie Ganot in Jouarre, it\u2019s unsurprising that many are deterred by the smaller of the two. \u201cMeaux is more accessible, in terms of flavor,\u201d she says, noting that Melun is far more of an acquired taste.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>\u201cWhen you start with Brie de Meaux and then move towards Brie de Melun, you develop a taste for it, bit by bit,\u201d she says. \u201cYou should always start with Meaux.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"435\" height=\"393\" data-id=\"91260\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-91260\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%27435%27%20height%3D%27393%27%20viewBox%3D%270%200%20435%20393%27%3E%3Crect%20width%3D%27435%27%20height%3D%27393%27%20fill-opacity%3D%220%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" data-orig-src=\"https:\/\/theproject.com.au\/myfrenchlife\/wp-content\/uploads\/Screen-Shot-2022-11-15-at-10.13.56.png\" alt=\"brie de Meaux\r\n\" \/><\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"405\" height=\"426\" data-id=\"91259\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-91259\" src=\"https:\/\/theproject.com.au\/myfrenchlife\/wp-content\/uploads\/Screen-Shot-2022-11-15-at-10.14.12.png\" data-orig-src=\"https:\/\/theproject.com.au\/myfrenchlife\/wp-content\/uploads\/Screen-Shot-2022-11-15-at-10.14.12.png\" alt=\"Brie de Melun\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%27405%27%20height%3D%27426%27%20viewBox%3D%270%200%20405%20426%27%3E%3Crect%20width%3D%27405%27%20height%3D%27426%27%20fill-opacity%3D%220%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/theproject.com.au\/myfrenchlife\/wp-content\/uploads\/Screen-Shot-2022-11-15-at-10.14.12-380x400.png 380w, https:\/\/theproject.com.au\/myfrenchlife\/wp-content\/uploads\/Screen-Shot-2022-11-15-at-10.14.12.png 405w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-orig-sizes=\"(max-width: 405px) 100vw, 405px\" \/><\/figure>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span style=\"color: #d10a26;\">The Oldest of Bries<\/span><\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>If Brie de Melun is saltier and stinkier than its more mild-mannered cousin, it\u2019s due in large part to its method of production.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\r\n<li><strong>Brie de Meaux<\/strong> is made with a rennet fermentation, a common cheesemaking technique whereby an enzyme found in the lining of a calf\u2019s stomach is added to the milk in order to encourage it to split into curds and whey.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\r\n<li><strong>Brie de Melun<\/strong>, on the other hand, is made using lactic fermentation, a technique<strong> Sophie Loiseau<\/strong>, a fourth-generation artisan ager of Brie asserts is \u201cthe oldest technology for cheeses,\u201d rendering Melun \u201cthe oldest of all Bries.\u201d While some would posit that this ancestral fermentation method makes Brie de Melun vegetarian, both Loiseau and Hedin assert that this is not the case and that a small amount of rennet is nevertheless used.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>The discrepancy does, however, lead to yet more differences. The larger amount of rennet used for Brie de Meaux \u2013 and the less-assertive flavors sought \u2013 mean that after just two hours, the curd is ready to be sliced into cubes and molded into Meaux molds.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>Brie de Melun, Loiseau explains, undergoes somewhere between 12 and 18 hours of fermentation before being stirred into a grainy sort of soup, which is then transferred into molds. These differences in method lead to, she says, much more complex, intense flavors. And that\u2019s not where the differences end.\u201c<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\r\n<p>As agers, the biggest difference is that it\u2019s nearly double the aging time.\u201d Whereas Brie de Meaux is aged just seven to eight weeks, she says, \u201cwe can go up to 12 or even 14 weeks for a Brie de Melun.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<cite>Loiseau explains<\/cite><\/blockquote>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span style=\"color: #d10a26;\">A Rare Cheese<\/span><\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-2 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"700\" height=\"400\" data-id=\"91265\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-91265\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%27700%27%20height%3D%27400%27%20viewBox%3D%270%200%20700%20400%27%3E%3Crect%20width%3D%27700%27%20height%3D%27400%27%20fill-opacity%3D%220%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" data-orig-src=\"https:\/\/theproject.com.au\/myfrenchlife\/wp-content\/uploads\/JPEG-image-28-3-1-700x400.jpeg\" alt=\"Brie de Melun\" \/><\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"700\" height=\"400\" data-id=\"91267\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-91267\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%27700%27%20height%3D%27400%27%20viewBox%3D%270%200%20700%20400%27%3E%3Crect%20width%3D%27700%27%20height%3D%27400%27%20fill-opacity%3D%220%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" data-orig-src=\"https:\/\/theproject.com.au\/myfrenchlife\/wp-content\/uploads\/JPEG-image-19-1-700x400.jpeg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"700\" height=\"400\" data-id=\"91273\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-91273\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%27700%27%20height%3D%27400%27%20viewBox%3D%270%200%20700%20400%27%3E%3Crect%20width%3D%27700%27%20height%3D%27400%27%20fill-opacity%3D%220%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" data-orig-src=\"https:\/\/theproject.com.au\/myfrenchlife\/wp-content\/uploads\/JPEG-image-24-1-1-700x400.jpeg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"700\" height=\"400\" data-id=\"91268\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-91268\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%27700%27%20height%3D%27400%27%20viewBox%3D%270%200%20700%20400%27%3E%3Crect%20width%3D%27700%27%20height%3D%27400%27%20fill-opacity%3D%220%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" data-orig-src=\"https:\/\/theproject.com.au\/myfrenchlife\/wp-content\/uploads\/JPEG-image-21-1-1-700x400.jpeg\" alt=\"\" \/>\r\n<figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Brie de Melun<\/em><\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>The discrepancy between the two production methods doesn\u2019t just pave the way for greater depth of flavor when it comes to Brie de Melun. The margin of error grows as well.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>The curds of Brie de Melun, Loiseau says, are far more fragile than those of Brie de Meaux, and the cheese itself is difficult to age properly, requiring a lot more supervision and care.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s far more difficult to make, and it\u2019s far more difficult to age,\u201d she says. \u201cWhen it\u2018s good, it\u2019s exceptionally good, and when it\u2019s not good, it\u2019s really not good.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>It\u2019s perhaps for this reason that it\u2019s also the rarer of the two: About 6,000 tons of Brie de Meaux is produced each year for a mere 230 tons of Brie de Melun.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\r\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s what I would call more of a local cheese. It\u2019s less present across France, and that\u2019s why it\u2019s less well-known.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<cite>Benoit Gourdon<\/cite><\/blockquote>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s the smallest of any cheese appellation,&#8221; says Loiseau. &#8220;Because of these difficulties linked to its production and aging.\u201d But while a bad Brie de Melun is bitter and sour, she says, a good one is heavenly. \u201cTruly, when Brie de Melun is aged well, it\u2019s far superior. There are much more complex flavors. When it\u2019s made properly, it\u2019s a great cheese, like Beaufort, like Roquefort. When it\u2019s made properly, it\u2019s splendid.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>But while a bad Brie de Melun is bitter and sour, she says, a good one is heavenly. \u201cTruly, when Brie de Melun is aged well, it\u2019s far superior,\u201d she says. \u201cThere are much more complex flavors. When it\u2019s made properly, it\u2019s a great cheese, like Beaufort, like Roquefort. When it\u2019s made properly, it\u2019s splendid.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span style=\"color: #d10a26;\">Enjoying Brie de Melun<\/span><\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\r\n<p>\u201cBrie de Melun is not a cheese that people buy. It\u2019s a cheese you are sold.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<cite>Sophie Loiseau asserts.<\/cite><\/blockquote>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>The disappointment many have faced when it comes to a poor version of the cheese, she says, means the fromager plays a vital role in explaining what to expect from it \u2013 and in guiding consumers toward the perfect one.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>A well-aged Brie de Melun comes down firstly to expertise, but second to personal preference.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>Parisians, Loiseau says, like their Bries aged until they are runny; locals, meanwhile, like it about \u00be aged, with a thin, chalky center lending a third texture to the cheese that makes it even more enjoyable. \u201cIt should be soft but not runny,\u201d she says. \u201cIt should really never run. That\u2019s a flaw that makes it too powerful and too bitter.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>Look, instead, for something soft with a cream-colored pate. \u201cAnd above all, the crust should be nicely colored, with brown splotches,\u201d she adds.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span style=\"color: #d10a26;\">And to accompany Brie de Melun?<\/span><\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>Locals also enjoy it with wine: Gourdon prefers Gaillac, a heady wine with a nice tannic structure that can stand up to the cheese.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>Such a wine, Hedin asserts, would \u201cdominate\u201d milder Brie de Meaux, rendering it \u201ccompletely insipid.\u201d \u201cThat\u2019s not at all the case with Brie de Melun,\u201d she says. \u201cOf course, it has more flavor, but what makes it interesting is to pair it with other things.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>She cites not just good, red wine, but also \u201cvery good bread \u2013 maybe a country bread, something with flavor.\u201d \u201cWith a very aged Brie de Melun, you could even go with something a little bit sweet,\u201d she muses. \u201cYou wouldn\u2019t want to do that with Brie de Meaux, because it could bring out a certain bitterness.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>Loiseau, too, calls for a wine with a bit of structure, be it red or white, or else amber beer. Gourdon, meanwhile, volunteers a pairing possibility that he was pleasantly surprised by: an earthy, tannic black tea.<\/p>\r\n<hr \/>\r\n<p><strong>What is your preference: Brie de Meaux or Brie de Melun? Were you previously aware of the difference?<\/strong> Please leave your comments below.<\/p>\r\n<hr \/><address>Image credits<br \/>1-2\u00a0 Fromage Ganot via their <a href=\"http:\/\/www.fromagerie-ganot.fr\/les-bries\/\">website<\/a><br \/>3-6 Brie de Melun copyright Emily Monaco\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<hr \/>\r\n<div class=\"entry-content\"><address>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #d10a26;\">Here you can read all articles in this column:<\/span><br \/>\u2018<a href=\"https:\/\/theproject.com.au\/myfrenchlife\/category\/the-wonder-of-fromage-unveiling-one-french-cheese-at-a-time\/\">The wonder of Fromage \u2013 unveiling one French cheese at a time<\/a>\u2019 by Emily Monaco<\/p>\r\n<\/address><\/div>\r\n<footer><\/footer><\/address>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The category of Brie encompasses many different cheeses \u2013 there are only two AOP cheeses in Ile-de-France: Brie de Meaux and Brie de Melun.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":905,"featured_media":91772,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_editorskit_title_hidden":false,"_editorskit_reading_time":0,"_editorskit_is_block_options_detached":false,"_editorskit_block_options_position":"{}","footnotes":""},"categories":[1103,1084,1125,9635],"tags":[9988,213,1418,1588,2088,9948,9949,9950,9985,9986,9987],"class_list":["post-91156","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-gastronomie-guides","category-gastronomie","category-columns","category-the-wonder-of-fromage-unveiling-one-french-cheese-at-a-time","tag-isabelle-hedin","tag-france","tag-fromage","tag-brie","tag-french-cheese","tag-brie-de-melun","tag-brie-de-meaux","tag-brie-de-nangis","tag-fromagerie-ganot-in-jouarre","tag-benoit-gourdon","tag-sophie-loiseau"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/theproject.com.au\/myfrenchlife\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/91156","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/theproject.com.au\/myfrenchlife\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/theproject.com.au\/myfrenchlife\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theproject.com.au\/myfrenchlife\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/905"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theproject.com.au\/myfrenchlife\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=91156"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/theproject.com.au\/myfrenchlife\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/91156\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theproject.com.au\/myfrenchlife\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/91772"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/theproject.com.au\/myfrenchlife\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=91156"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theproject.com.au\/myfrenchlife\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=91156"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theproject.com.au\/myfrenchlife\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=91156"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}