Recently in the mail we received a card from one of our cheesemakers that read “Brie Mine.” How cute! I walked past a bookstore with a board outside that read, “Sweet dreams are made of cheese, who am I to diss a brie?” On a yellow cocktail napkin at a friend’s house, “Don’t worry, brie happy” stared up at me. Then there’s “to brie or not to brie” which really isn’t even a question because the answer is always, brie. There is a lot more light brie humor out there, and I think it’s safe to say from this informal survey of my life that brie inspires more puns than any other cheese.

We use the name for our entertainment and so many cheeses are labeled “brie” it is practically a synonym for soft cheese, but what is it really? We usually expect brie to be soft enough to cut with a butter knife and to have a white rind. We consider it to be mild, or even boring, something to be thrown on a plate and eaten without much thought. But I want to change this idea of what brie is because I’m totally obsessed with the one we have in our case and I want everyone can get as excited about it as I am!

The brie we have at the shop is certainly soft and had a white-ish rind, but it also has other characteristics that we think of as distinctly brie-ish. The only brie we carry is called Brie Fermier, which means “fermier” in France signifies that it is a farmhouse cheese, meaning the cheese is made with the maker’s own herd of animals. While “fermier” doesn’t indicate the size of the herd or how the animals are fed or treated, it does show us in the case of Brie Fermier that this is not a factory produced cheese, which much of brie is. This implies that we’re probably getting a cheese that’s more interesting than anything mass-produced. Made on the Ferme (farm) de la Tremblaye in northern France, our Brie Fermier is as close to the unpasteurized version they eat in France as we’ll see here in the US. 

Often, the precut stuff available in supermarkets is very mild and fairly firm. But when we’re talking about brie, especially the Brie Fermier, we mean something that is pudgy, almost runny and has a punch of flavor. We have lots of other soft cheeses that are lovely and mild, but brie has a pronounced earthy mushroom scent, tastes of roasted mushrooms, caramelized brussels sprouts, fresh milk and melted butter, and has an oozy gooey texture. As soon as I take a bite of this creamy masterpiece, I want, no, NEED, a bit of ham, a dab of Dijon mustard, some cornichon and a cool glass of Chenin Blanc and I am transported to a French picnic that I imagine is more perfect than any actual picnic could be. See, I really want Brie Fermier to have a reputation it deserves! I want it to be known as an interesting, complex, funky, and dreamy cheese. And of course, what I really, really want is to see more of those cheese puns.

For the love of cheese because we brie-long together (yeah I did that),

Kiri

P.S. And one more thing, our cheese buyer is named Brie. Did I just blow your mind??

P.P.S. Whether you’re celebrating Valentine’s Day with a loved one or a group of friends or solo or not at all, I just want to add that Brie Fermier is a very romantic cheese that should be included in your plan. It is soft, luscious and smooth, and it makes you feel good. If you add a bit of strawberry jam and a glass (or three) of sparkling wine, then you’re guaranteed a good night!