Brie is an agricultural area east of Paris, the capital of which is Meaux. It produces wheat and sugar-beet but is chiefly known for its dairy produce, in particular the famous cheeses.
A smaller version of Brie (Laitier) from Île-de-France, enriched with cream, usually factory-made around Coulommiers. The best is from Coulommiers itself. It is at its best from October to April and goes well with Burgundy or Côte de Rhône.
A flat wheel of cheese made only with raw cow’s milk on farms in Île-de-France, matured for 5-6 weeks, with more bouquet than the commercial Brie. The best come from the valleys of Grand Morin and Petit Morin and it is at its best from May to October, particularly with Burgundy. This is the ‘true’ Brie, dubbed ‘King of cheese’ by Talleyrand. Brie made with pasteurised milk does not have the right to call itself Brie de Meaux. (AOC-1980).
A cow's milk cheese made in small traditional dairies, moulded by hand with a ladle, around Melun in the Île-de-France, ripened for 7 weeks, with a stronger smell than Brie de Meaux and pronounced flavour. Perhaps the ancestor of modern Brie. It is at its best from June to October and goes well with Bordeaux. (AOC-1980).
A soft, mild, fresh, white cow’s milk cheese made from unpasteurised milk and dusted with charcoal. It is made from salted curds in Île-de-France.
