Aug 22 2024
Lorraine is a highly populated region of north-eastern France, with approximately 2.3 million inhabitants enjoying a landscape of vast natural beauty. Lorraine is the third most wooded area of France and an unspoilt region of fir and beech forests along with many lakes, springs and waterfalls. The Vosges mountains are the most famous mountain range, but the area also has a number of rivers running through it, most notably the Moselle, the Meurthe and the Meuse.
The Lorraine region and its many towns have a deep historical and architectural heritage, and the region’s roots can be traced back to Medieval times, when it was first known as Lotharingia. Today Lorraine is an administrative region of Grand Est and its most populated areas are the cities of Nancy and Metz.
Although Lorraine borders three other countries – Germany, Belgium and Luxembourg – and is the only French region to do so, it also borders two other French regions, those of Franche-Comte and Champagne-Ardenne. And while Lorraine is largely French-speaking, the Moselle region has some German-speaking inhabitants as it, not surprisingly, borders Germany.
In terms of cuisine, of course the Lorraine region is famous for its range of cheeses, but it also has a historical specialism in dishes containing bacon, and this has resulted in its most famous dish, Quiche Lorraine, which combines eggs, cheese and bacon as a type of French tart.
We have four delicious cheeses from the Lorraine region, all owing their heritage to the Brie family of cheeses.
Brie de Meaux PDO cheese – This is known in some quarters as the ‘King of Cheeses’ and is one of the most illustrious cheeses in France. Although it earned PDO status in 1980 it can trace its origins back to the Middle Ages where it was created in the Reuilen Brie Abbey. Brie de Meaux is often used as a dessert cheese because its smooth creaminess is best enjoyed at the end of a meal. It is a raw cow’s milk cheese which is ripened over 28 days and has a thin rind, and while it is soft and creamy, it should not be runny. It has notes of hazelnut and mushroom in its taste and goes well with sourdough bread and red wine, or eaten together with figs and a glass of champagne.
Filled Brie – Unpasteurised cheese – Our filled Brie cheeses are a speciality which can become the centrepiece of your cheeseboard. With the unpasteurised version we take the Brie de Meaux and add a choice of three different fillings. Truffles and Brillat complement the earthy taste of the cheese, while you can also opt for a blend of three peppercorns or wild garlic. These decidedly moreish cheeses are rested and matured for between four to six weeks.
Filled Brie – Pasteurised cheese – This version adds delicious double cream for pure indulgence and is one of our most rich and generous cheeses. It is also a very interesting cheese given that it combines smooth creaminess with the firmness of the fillings. These can include cranberries, garlic and herbs or truffles. Each type of filling works well to produce subtle flavours and a well-balanced cheese.
Coulommiers PDO cheese – Although this cheese has settled to become a Lorraine cheese, it owes its name to a small town in the Seine-et-Marne region just east of Paris. A Brie-making family lived here, but production of this raw milk cheese with a Brie-like rind soon moved to Lorraine, where it has developed a strong and distinctive taste which comes from the small wheels being carefully ripened for up to two months. Best enjoyed with rustic bread and a glass of champagne or cider, this cheese can also be used in cooking, most popularly in croque monsieur or melted on a burger.
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