France – Brie and the French Affineur

If the name “Brie” conjures up images of a mild creamy flat cheese covered with a pure white mould, chances are you have never experienced authentic Brie -from Brie! In this episode, Will visits the Ile de France region to learn more about the benchmarks of the style, Brie de Meaux and Brie de Melun, before visiting Brie’s close cousin, Chaource, in the Champagne region. He then travels to the underground caves of Hervé Mons to find out how this respected affineur selects and matures cheeses to their optimum. Finally, he receives a few tips from Pascal Beillevaire, the largest specialist cheese retailer in France.