What French cheese from Île-de-France has a soft, creamy interior and a bloomy white rind? Brie is the answer.
Brie is a soft cow's-milk cheese named for the historic Brie region, which lies largely in what is now Seine-et-Marne in Île-de-France. It is typically made as a broad, flat wheel with a pale interior and a soft white rind formed by surface moulds. The rind is edible and contributes subtle earthy and mushroom-like flavours.
Brie ripens from the outside inward. As it matures, enzymes and mould soften the paste beneath the rind, changing it from firm and chalky to supple, buttery and sometimes almost runny. An underripe wheel may feel stiff in the centre, while an overripe one can develop a strong ammonia smell and a darker, crumbly rind.
Brie is often confused with Camembert because both are French soft cheeses with white bloomy rinds. Their traditional regions differ: Brie comes from the Paris Basin and Île-de-France, whereas Camembert is associated with Normandy. The best-known protected French varieties are Brie de Meaux and Brie de Melun, both granted AOC status in 1980.