Four Creamy Cheeses
The Brie de Meaux is named for the town on the Marne, about 50 km east of Paris and is cured within the AOC region stretching to the east of town along the river valley. It is made from cows' milk and is a non-pasteurized or lait cru cheese. It has a rich flavour, more than usually expected of a Brie, with a fairly smokey taste.
Directly south of Paris, about 30 km, is the town of Melun known, among other things, as the location of a large prison on an island in the Seine, just upstream from the moorage. Melun produces a Brie that is stronger than the Meaux, resulting from a difference in the production process. It is a lait cru cheese but a lactic fermentation, a natural process, is used rather than renneting which means the coagulation takes some 18 hours rather than half an hour. The cheese is smooth, creamy and salty, and provides a sensational accompaniment to a crisp apple following a hearty meal.
To round off the Bries on this particular venture, we purchased some Brie Noix that Mons makes in his plant west of Roanne. This has a layer of crushed walnuts in the centre, much like a Morbier with it's vegetable centre, and is garnished with half walnuts around the edge. As would be expected, the piece we bought was perfectly ripe - Mons asks when you wish to consume a cheese before selling it. The flavour was more subtle than either of the two above, yet still pungent. The walnuts added an element of texture and a taste that seemed to flow through the entire cheese in a complementary fashion. This would be nice with melon or sweet white wine. Frankly, these Bries are so good you could have them with pretty well anything, or alone, and feel quite indulged.
Our last cheese was a Brillat-Savarin which is produced mainly in Normandie but also in the Paris region For those living in a barbaric country not allowing the importation of cru cheese, this may be available. It is 75% pasteurized with 25% cream added to give a sinfully smooth texture with a huge taste. It needs a strong wine to balance the flavour and is not unlike a Chaource in texture and finish.
