Somerset Brie

Originally Brie was a French cheese, but different styles of Brie have evolved outside of the country. First made in the region it is named after, just outside of Paris, Brie is made of cow’s milk.

Served with fruit and as a dessert at the end of a meal Brie, is a soft cheese with a yellowish interior and a white layer on the outside.

The milk of soft cheeses is not heated during the production and Brie is made in round loaves with around a 36cm diameter. In Europe this cheese is not chemically treated and as made using pasteurised milk it should be kept in the fridge.

The cheese takes around 8 to 10 weeks to ripen and when buying Brie you should look for
softness,
a white exterior, although it may have reddish patches,
the interior should be a shade of yellow,
the cheese has a distinct smell which some like and other don’t,
it should also taste slightly nutty.

There are Brie’s made outside of France and I have chosen Somerset Brie.