What Makes Brie de Meaux the “King of Cheese”?

Feb 26 2026

Brie de Meaux is not unique as a cheese in having its identity forged in centuries of tradition, communal dairy farming techniques and the stunning natural landscape of France’s rolling pastures, but it retains a unique identity all the same and is known as both ‘the King of Cheeses’ and the ‘ultimate dessert cheese’. Cheese lovers may argue about the merits of both of these titles, but what can’t be disputed is that Brie de Meaux is a rich and indulgent, creamy cheese with a smooth melt-in-the-middle texture which suggests a level of opulence that kings and other forms of royalty would enjoy. And they have.
It is true that Brie de Meaux is traditionally enjoyed at the end of a meal, so the ultimate dessert cheese title certainly holds some weight, and one taste of its hazelnut and mushroom undertones and the subtle texture beneath its delicate rind provides a strong argument for both titles. Brie de Meaux has held PDO status since 1980 but the ‘King of Cheeses’ title comes mainly from its rich history.

Royal endorsement

Brie de Meaux has its roots in the Middle Ages. It was first created at the Rueil en Brie Abbey just west of Paris, and near the market town of Meaux, but the PDO region now stretches from there all the way to the Meuse region, and the borders with Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany. These centuries of tradition have indeed formed a cheese that is fit for a king, but it didn’t take long for Brie de Meaux to find favour with royalty, King Louis XlV being known to enjoy several wheels of it being delivered to Versailles on a regular basis. It is also believed that King Louis XVl requested Brie de Meaux for his final meal.

In later years, 1815 to be precise, French statesman Charles Maurice de Talleyrand would organise a grand cheese-tasting conference at the Congress of Vienna. Brie de Meaux beat off competition from 52 of Europe’s best cheeses to win the top prize from the judges, and was crowned ‘Le Roi des Fromage’, or ‘the King of Cheeses’. It is not unreasonable to suggest no other cheese has taken this crown since, but certainly this royal endorsement is a big reason why Brie de Meaux retains this title. Another is the exceptional quality of the raw milk used to make it and the soft, ivory rind and complex flavour profile beneath it.

Multi-stage handcrafted production processes

The soft and tender heart of Brie de Meaux is its primary characteristic, just teetering on the edge of being runny, though it should never be so, even at room temperature. Brie de Meaux is made exclusively from cow’s milk cheese and is ripened for a minimum of 28 days, also hand crafted using a special Brie shovel. The manufacture and aging process involves several different stages and results in a cheese which can change characteristics and offer a different taste for different palates depending on whether the maturation process was 28 or 50 days.

Brie de Meaux can be experienced in many different ways, on a cheeseboard, baked into a tarte or enjoyed with bread, fruit and a glass of red wine. However you enjoy it, Brie de Meaux always delivers the same quality of experience, which ultimately, is all we need to justify its claim as the true King of Cheeses.

You can order Brie de Meaux for your restaurant in the UK from Sodiaal.