Great writing, subject and information, Meg. I for one can’t get enough of your work and can’t wait for your food tour we booked in August. No need to shame those who call you out. They leave the good stuff for the rest of us!
Great article Meg, so informative. We (AUS) now (last 25-30 years) have some excellent cheesemakers here including fugitive French, personally wandering many "marché au compagnie" and tasting all that is local .... you have it in a nice package! Merci!
A very informative article. Thanks for your suggestions on the preferred wine with Brie as my tendency would have been white. Would you consider doing an illustrative article on how to cut cheese? I have Roquefort in mind, of course.
I agree that not everyone needs to make the journey. And I fully admit I was going for the laugh. However, some of the comments regarding elitist and snobbery just struck as the typical, ugly, close minded American. If one does not make the journey, one has no context, knowledge or I dare say right to speak to it or criticize. In visiting Paris, and Europe, and frankly just about everywhere around the world outside of the US, it is common to experience this subset of the American tourist. I often wonder why they ever traveled in the first place.
Please excuse my fellow ignorant Americans, for clearly they do not understand the ethereal nature that is great Brie and great raw milk artisanal French cheese. They have grown up with mass produced, pasteurized, how can I say this … crap! For many, they think Cracker Barrel is as good as it gets. Please take pity on them. Perhaps some day they will see the light.
Hi John, I grew up eating Velveeta (happily!) in Kansas, so I know that it's a long road from spray cheese to Saint-Nectaire. And also that not everyone needs to make that journey :)
Fabulous article! The last brie I had was from the Marché Maubert. Emily Monaco introduced me to a fromager at the market who showed us pictures of his cows and then the brie that was made from their milk. Of course I had to buy some and it was delicious. You can't not buy some cheese after meeting the cows.
This is reminiscent of Camembert. The real thing is Camembert de Normadie. Everything else is Camembert. It's too bad the Camembert producers didn't give Camembert the AOP designation, instead the AOP is Camembert de Normandie, which would have eliminated all the industrial ones in the supermarkets.
Great article! I went back through my pictures from our walking tour of the Latin Quarter and the Androuet cheese shop and have pictures of the Brie de Meaux, Brie de Melun and Brie de Nangis. I know we tasted at least one and it was likely the Meaux. I loved them all but was probably the only one in the group that did. In the States, my favorite is the Mt Tam but it’s limited where it can be purchased though you can get it online direct from Cowgirl. I love learning the details of great foods like this. I can’t recommend Paris by Mouth food tours enough, they are fantastic. Merci!
AND I’ve taken your tour! It’s probably just been a while as it’s not my go-to fromage. But now I feel impelled. :) Glad you’re writing more of this impt food content again! 🧀
Great writing, subject and information, Meg. I for one can’t get enough of your work and can’t wait for your food tour we booked in August. No need to shame those who call you out. They leave the good stuff for the rest of us!
Thank you, Rich! Looking forward to welcoming you in August!
Great article Meg, so informative. We (AUS) now (last 25-30 years) have some excellent cheesemakers here including fugitive French, personally wandering many "marché au compagnie" and tasting all that is local .... you have it in a nice package! Merci!
Brett Moir
Lucky you!
A very informative article. Thanks for your suggestions on the preferred wine with Brie as my tendency would have been white. Would you consider doing an illustrative article on how to cut cheese? I have Roquefort in mind, of course.
I agree that not everyone needs to make the journey. And I fully admit I was going for the laugh. However, some of the comments regarding elitist and snobbery just struck as the typical, ugly, close minded American. If one does not make the journey, one has no context, knowledge or I dare say right to speak to it or criticize. In visiting Paris, and Europe, and frankly just about everywhere around the world outside of the US, it is common to experience this subset of the American tourist. I often wonder why they ever traveled in the first place.
Yeah, some of those Facebook comments were really something :)
Dear Meg,
Please excuse my fellow ignorant Americans, for clearly they do not understand the ethereal nature that is great Brie and great raw milk artisanal French cheese. They have grown up with mass produced, pasteurized, how can I say this … crap! For many, they think Cracker Barrel is as good as it gets. Please take pity on them. Perhaps some day they will see the light.
Hi John, I grew up eating Velveeta (happily!) in Kansas, so I know that it's a long road from spray cheese to Saint-Nectaire. And also that not everyone needs to make that journey :)
we had some Brie de Meaux on the walking tour I did with you back in 2013. It was one of the nicest cheeses I have ever tasted.
I love that you remember this from almost a decade ago, Bron! Makes me very happy to hear.
It was a really enjoyable day. I also loved the Rovethym and I hope it is not the only time I get to taste such deliciousness. <3
Ooh, that's a great cheese :)
they are both stand out cheeses.
Fabulous article! The last brie I had was from the Marché Maubert. Emily Monaco introduced me to a fromager at the market who showed us pictures of his cows and then the brie that was made from their milk. Of course I had to buy some and it was delicious. You can't not buy some cheese after meeting the cows.
What an experience! And yes, Emily is fantastic. Thanks for sharing, David.
This is reminiscent of Camembert. The real thing is Camembert de Normadie. Everything else is Camembert. It's too bad the Camembert producers didn't give Camembert the AOP designation, instead the AOP is Camembert de Normandie, which would have eliminated all the industrial ones in the supermarkets.
Exactly! Same principle - Camembert de Normandie is protected, and Camembert (without the place name) can be anything.
Great article! I went back through my pictures from our walking tour of the Latin Quarter and the Androuet cheese shop and have pictures of the Brie de Meaux, Brie de Melun and Brie de Nangis. I know we tasted at least one and it was likely the Meaux. I loved them all but was probably the only one in the group that did. In the States, my favorite is the Mt Tam but it’s limited where it can be purchased though you can get it online direct from Cowgirl. I love learning the details of great foods like this. I can’t recommend Paris by Mouth food tours enough, they are fantastic. Merci!
Thank you so much, Ross! So happy that we could welcome you on a food tour.
This was FASCINATING, merci! I learned so much and was left wondering, HAVE I HAD BRIE DE MEAUX? Will rectify that this weekend! :)
Surely you have! It's the "standard Brie" in Paris
AND I’ve taken your tour! It’s probably just been a while as it’s not my go-to fromage. But now I feel impelled. :) Glad you’re writing more of this impt food content again! 🧀
Thanks lady!