Emily in France 🇫🇷 Celebrating Mother Brie in Coulommiers
Let it Brie
Did you know that seven different cheeses can bear the name of Brie?
There’s Brie de Meaux, perhaps the most prototypical of the lot, a relatively approachable cheese with mushroomy vibes that kind of reminds me of cauliflower-cheese.
There’s Brie de Melun, a stinky beast by comparison, whose semi-lactic fermentation gives it a pronounced footy flair.
Brie de Montereau, also known as Ville Saint-Jacques, is a smaller, slightly stronger cousin of the AOP-protected Bries whose flavor can range from fresh cream and grass to mushrooms and underbrush.
And that’s not all. Brie de Provins is a raw milk creation halfway between Meaux and Melun in terms of strength with a slight fruity note and a touch of acidity. Brie de Nangis, meanwhile, is a milder iteration, the recipe followed by most Bries made for the American market.
Brie noir, aka black Brie, is an ultra-aged Brie once consumed chiefly in the region where it's made. Born originally as a means of upcycling flawed Bries that couldn't be sold in Paris and might otherwise be wasted, it’s now gaining some traction in the capital, where you’ll find it at spots like Quatrehomme.
And then there’s Coulommiers, aka Mother Brie. There’s some disagreement within the industry as to whether this smaller wheel of cheese, which is also sometimes called Brie de Coulommiers or Petit Brie de Coulommiers, is actually the ancestor of all other Bries. Some claim that its small size is an indication that it is indeed older; others say it stems from producers aiming to make a version of Coulommiers that was easier to transport. Either way, it’s my personal favorite of the bunch, with a rich, lactic flavor and just a touch of funk reminiscent of the very best Camemberts.
But Coulommiers is also the name of a town, one that recently held a festival in honor of cheese, wine, and more.
The weather was iffy on my visit, but that proved unproblematic, seeing as the festival took place under the shelter of a massive tent teeming with stands manned by producers of all sorts of products from all over France. Specialist Brie agers were keen to offer bites of a range of different Bries, making it easy to compare and contrast them (and, yes, take home a wedge of our favorite – an exquisitely aged Fougerus. But more on her on another day.)
This Brie de Melun was so aged it looked more like pudding.
We sampled wines from all over France, including Beaujolais. I wish they’d been selling these gorgeous glasses, which double as an essential geography lesson.
Brie isn't particularly well-known for its wine, but dry local cider was the perfect pairing for those bloomy rinds.
For a cheese lover, it was kind of the perfect Saturday.
Cheese of the Week
Brie de Meaux was the inspiration behind Baron Bigod, a Brie-style cheese that’s nearly tied with Welsh Caws Abaty for my favorite non-French Brie. Boasting a relatively mild, mushroomy rind and a creamy, sticky center with fresh citrus notes, this Brie is made on-site at the Suffolk-based Fen Farm. And seeing as it's pasteurized, it's even available in the U.S.
To discover more of my favorite cheeses, be sure to follow me on Instagram @emily_in_france, subscribe to my YouTube channel, and tune into the Terroir Podcast, where Caroline Conner and I delve into France's cheese, wine, and more one region at a time.
What I’m Eating
Au Moulin à Vent is a narrow bistro in the 5th arrondissement whose tininess is only amplified by how packed it is – not just with patrons but also with old-school metal signage and empty wine bottles. Located just steps from the quais de Seine and Notre Dame, it’s in an area where it’s generally difficult to eat well, which meant that I was doubly intrigued when it earned a Best Bistro nod from the second edition of Trophées Pudlo Bistros. And if you ask me, it more than deserves it. More on the blog.
What I’m Doing
1. Our next TERRE/MER retreat is coming up April 11 to 14 – and we’ve only got one more spot! Book now to snag it and join us for cooking, ceramics, and yoga overlooking the Mediterranean.
2. Signups for the next edition of the Nantes Writers’ Workshop June 24 to 28 are open, and in a similar vein… we’ve only got one more spot! Sign up now to grab it, and in the meantime, be sure to sign up for our newsletter to keep those creative juices a-flowing.
What I’m Saying
The word favorite doesn't really mean favorite, in France. Instead, it evokes a centuries-long tradition of sex, power, and gender roles in the French courts, as sisters and academics Christine and Tracy Adams are here to share on this episode of Navigating the French.
Where I’m Going
1. To give an intro to cheese tasting with WICE – can't wait to nerd out with my small group of cheese-curious guests.
2. To hear Fatou Diome speak about Le Verbe libre ou le silence, a plea for literature and the freedom of writers, at my local library.
3. To check out the ramen at Ryukishin Eiffel for a new project.
What I'm Writing
1. Not writing… but I am chatting about the outsized reaction to Camembert’s death knell on NBC.
2. What makes Cracker Barrel cheddar retail for a mere $4 per half-pound block, while some Cabrales fetches a whopping $3,400 for the same weight? A host of factors as I explored for Mashed.
3. From the archives: In 20 years, around 500 of Paris’ cafés have closed. Why is that? I chatted with experts about the past, present, and future of the French café for France Today.
What I'm Reading
1. This exploration of the use of sign in Dune from the always brilliant Dr. Gemma King. In the Conversation.
2. This story about this past weekend’s waiters' race, which I missed in favor of being caught in a hailstorm at the Jardin des Plantes, where the cherry blossoms are in full bloom. But the winner of the men’s contest waits tables at one of my favorite cafés in Paris, le Contrescarpe, where my friend Amanda Bestor-Siegal and I wiled away many hours writing with glasses of rosé… and where she penned much of her gorgeous début, The Caretakers. In the Associated Press.
3. This story on the complex interplay of influences that gave rise to Gothic architecture in Europe. In National Geographic.
A bientôt !