Blue vs Soft - Bleu Saint-Flour meets Brie

Sep 15 2025

Any cheese connoisseur worth their salt would have a blue cheese and a Brie in their top ten cheeses, and even if you don’t know a huge amount about cheeses, you could probably name blue cheese and Brie amongst the most popular variations. This is certainly the case when it comes to French cheese, with both specialities proving to be commonly named amongst the best French cheeses available today and known throughout the world.
And yet, while blue cheese and Brie are bracketed together as popular French cheeses, they are very distinctive in their identity and couldn’t be more different when comparing flavours, aromas and texture. Here we will look at a typical French blue cheese – Bleu Saint Flour - and a pasteurised Brie, to see how they compare.

Comparing Bleu Saint Flour and Brie

Bleu Saint Flour is a classic example of a blue cheese, in that it carries all the characteristics you would normally expect. It has a sharp, tangy and salty taste and is semi-soft in texture. It carries the idiosyncratic blue veins which come from penicillin mould, and has a thin, edible rind. Many blue cheeses are quite dry and crumbly in texture, but Bleu Saint Flour is more creamy and spreadable, although it holds its shape at room temperature.

In contract, Brie is undeniably a soft cheese, and has a more mild and buttery taste, with a slightly nutty flavour also. The taste is altogether more delicate than a blue cheese, and the overriding characteristic is the smooth and creamy texture. At room temperature, Brie will start to liquify and is very spreadable. This velvety texture is a big part of its appeal and with a white, edible rind, it is easy to see why Brie is one of the most popular French cheeses.

Common characteristics in French cheeses

While both Bleu Saint Flour and Brie have very contrasting flavour, aroma, texture and appearance profiles, there are lots of things they both share. Both cheeses are pasteurised cow’s milk cheeses and are both made in the Auvergne region of France. They are both best served at room temperature and can be eaten as nature intended off a cheeseboard with a selection of appropriate accompaniments. However, they can both add flavour and depth to a recipe also, such as a pasta sauce, and complement a nice salad or a sandwich.

Another thing that links both Bleu Saint Flour and Brie together is that they can be supplied to your café or restaurant in the UK by Sodiaal. Both these indulgent French cheeses represent the very best of French cuisine and the high-quality French cheeses on the market. If you never tasted another French cheese again, if you have sampled a Bleu Saint Flour and a pasteurised Brie, then you can say you have enjoyed two of the best French cheeses available. And we can bring these exceptional flavours, aromas and textures to you if you contact our team at Sodiaal today.