Dec 01 2025
There are many French cheeses with great melting properties, which explains why fondue is one of the most popular ways to enjoy French cheese and is a staple part of modern French cuisine. But texture is very important to cheese and you don’t have to be a fondue lover to enjoy a soft cheese, in fact, a good soft cheese will go deliciously gooey without any help at all from an open flame.
Cheese left on a table at room temperature will slowly soften and release the full extent of its flavour profile, because the moisture content will increase and the fat content will soften. Storing cheese in a refrigerator is of course necessary, but it does inhibit the natural taste and texture characteristics, so cheese should be removed from the fridge at least thirty minutes before you intend to enjoy it. Furthermore, enzymes and bacteria become more active in some cheeses when left at room temperature, resulting in a creamier, more gooey and spreadable cheese, and Brie de Meaux is perhaps the best example of that.
Leave a healthy slice of Brie de Meaux on a tabletop for a few minutes and you will see it visibly start to sag. As the cheese slowly reaches room temperature its structure will change and the fat and moisture content will combine to soften it to an almost liquid state. Brie de Meaux is an artisan cheese made with raw cow’s milk and it becomes more flavoursome the longer you leave it, and its sticky texture will leave you licking your fingers to savour every last morsel.
Brie de Meaux is often referred to as the ‘king of cheeses’ and its indulgent texture is a big reason for this and is a common denominator when people describe what they love about a cheese which earned PDO status in 1980. Brie de Meaux is formed into relatively wide and shallow wheels and during the six-to-eight-week maturation process is regularly turned to prevent sinking in the middle, another indication of the soft, creamy gooeyness that is to come for those who can show the patience.
The history of Brie de Meaux started in the Middle Ages and it was first made at the Rueil en Brie Abbey in the Lorraine region of northeastern France, but it has become one of the most popular cheeses produced in France and is exported all over the world. A big part of this popularity is the notes of hazelnuts and mushrooms and the complex flavour profile that is also buttery and sweet, but also the smooth, melt-in-the-mouth texture. The thin, bloomy rind produced during the minimum 28-day ripening process is perfectly edible but, like a dam wall, does a fantastic job in preventing the soft room temperature cheese pouring out. Try piercing the rind at one end of a slice and watch the delicious Brie seep out within seconds, but make sure you don’t waste any!
Brie de Meaux is protected by PDO status and pairs well with champagne if you are celebrating a special occasion, or also a wheat beer or a glass of Sauvignon Blanc. It works well spread on a piece of crusty bread, but you can also enjoy Brie de Meaux scooped up with vegetables cut into batons and with pickles such as cornichons. However you choose to enjoy Brie de Meaux, you can guarantee that its rich gooeyness is the standout feature and provides the taste experience that will have you coming back for more.
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