There’s a tendency to refer to cheeses with a thick, mushroomy white rind as “Brie-style,” but this would be reductive to say the least. Bloomy-rinded cheeses with a mushroomy, white exterior can be found all over northern France, and each boasts its own personality.
Norman Bloomies with Personality
Pierre Villiers, a seventh-generation Neufchâtel producer in Illois and the President of the Neufchâtel guild, produces all of these shapes on the family farm.
Normandy is home to several bloomy-rinded cheeses, and they’re assertive, to say the least. Heart-shaped Neufchâtel stands out for its pronounced saltiness and almost grainy texture. And there’s a reason Camembert’s nickname is “God’s feet.” While they may not be quite as approachable as “Brie-style” cheeses available outside of the hexagon, give them a try.
With its briny flavor laced with mushroom vibes and an almost cruciferous sweetness (think cauliflower cheese!), there’s a reason Camembert is France’s best-selling soft fromage.
Brie: The Cradle of the Bloom
While Normans would bristle to hear it, there is a good reason we call bloomies Brie-style. It was, after all, in the Brie region, just to the east of Paris, that the albino mutant strain of Penicillium mold that’s so essential in the formation of the white rind on these cheeses was first identified. These days, clones of that still-same mutant are used to make everything from French Camembert to American Mt. Tam to Italian Cambazola.
In the Brie region, meanwhile, six different villages still make their own styles of Brie; two of them – Brie de Meaux and Brie de Melun – are protected by AOP.
Supplementing with Cream
Many cheese lovers erroneously assume that a runny cheese like Brie or Camembert is higher in fat. It’s the higher water content that creates that luscious ooze; pressed cheeses like Cheddar or Comté are far higher in fat than soft ones. Bloomy-rinded cheeses sometimes get a bit of help in the fat department with the addition of cream. These double- or triple-cream cheeses, like Brillat-Savarin, are recognizable thanks to their dense interiors with a texture more similar to cream cheese.
Fairly mild-mannered, these cheeses boast a flavor halfway between butter and cheese. It’s no surprise that they should be such crowd-pleasers!
Do you have a favourite Bloomy-Rinded Cheese? Share with us below.
Further Reading:
1. Neufchâtel: The wonder of Fromage – unveiling one French cheese at a time
2. Brie de Melun: The wonder of Fromage – unveiling one French cheese at a time
3. Chaource: The wonder of Fromage – unveiling one French cheese at a time
Introducing Contributor, Emily Monaco
Immerse yourself in all of Emily’s articles on her Contributor page.