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Brie de Melun

Brie de Melun
MyraBella / CC BY-SA 3.0

  • Made from unpasteurized cow's milk

  • Country of origin: France

  • Region: Ile de France

  • Family: Brie

  • Type: semi-soft, soft-ripened

  • Fat content: 45%

  • Texture: firm

  • Rind: bloomy

  • Colour: yellow

  • Flavour: salty, sharp, sour, strong

  • Aroma: grassy, musty

  • Synonyms: Brie Noir

Brie de Melun is said to be the ancestor of all Brie's, which originated in the region of northern France known as Seine-et-Marne. It was granted an AOC protection in 1980 that requires that the cheese be manufactured under strict guidelines for supreme quality.

Brie de Melun is produced from either whole or skimmed, raw milk of cows grazing in the valleys of Seine et Marne and some departments of Aube and Yonne. It is semi-soft cheese inoculated with a Penicillium mould and aged in a cellar for at least 4-5 weeks. If the cheese is left to ripen for a longer period, say several months, it matures to a Brie Noir. 

It is an aromatic cheese with slightly musty and straw-like smells floating in the air. Over-ripening the Brie can result in an unpleasant odour from bacteria used to ripen the mould. The texture is semi-soft, and the rind is slightly dry. The rind turns darker and crumbly as the cheese matures to a Brie Noir. In addition, the pate is drier and darker, and the flavour is stronger to taste. The usual flavours are strongly lactic and slightly salty, finished by soft, barnyard, sour notes. Brie de Melun is used to prepare regional dishes like croûte au brie. It pairs well with Gaillac and wines from Burgundy or the Rhone Valley.

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