Are you supposed to eat the white rind on the outside of Brie cheese? It’s not required, says goodhealthgourmet. “Sure, some people may think you’re missing the best part, but it’s a matter of personal preference.” The French think it’s gauche to cut off the rind, says jayt90, but pikawicca has seen French people do it.
Whether you want to eat the rind may have to do with how good your cheese is. “Better quality, younger soft-ripened cheeses tend to have a softer, more pliable rind,” says caviar_and_chitlins. “I make my rind-eating decisions on the condition of the rind—if it’s tough and leathery, no. If it’s bloomy and cottony and delicate, then yes.” Cheese expert Laura Werlin says, for the most part, hard cheese rinds are not eaten, while soft cheese rinds are. But personal preference should always win out.
If you’re new to eating the rind of Brie, try it baked, served with apple slices and a baguette, suggests bulavinaka, who didn’t eat the rind “until I was served this at a French-style cafe back in the ’80s. After that, I was sold on eating soft cheeses like Brie whole.”
For more about cheese rinds, check out these CHOW videos.
Board Link: Weird Brie Cheese question
I’ve eaten the rind only when I’ve warmed Brie in the oven topped with some brown sugar. It’s heavenly like that.
I usually love the rind. The only exception is if the cheese is past its prime, and as the article said, tough and leathery. Then I cut it off. If the cheese is that old then I usually incorporate it into a recipe where it is warmed. I LOVE a good Brie or Camembert. They are both outstanding served with fruits. Try an older Brie, rind off and stuffed inside a fig, then baked. Top with a bit of balsamic reduction. This goes well with a charcuterie plate. (Don’t forget some really good bread)
I am still trying to get the hang, or general appeal, of this website. This article is lovely to read and good for an english class, but it is lacking anything that really means much in the “culinary world”.
There is much more to Brie and rind than what I am reading. I would like to see more specifics on impact of seriving size and recipe or application effects on the “rind”.
I see some specific recipes. Fibrolady I pick on you becasue I can see your post while I am typing, though I beg for great discussion and poke an prod on this site at times. Might I suggest that you could pop the whole wedge or wheel of brie in a food processer. Or hand chop, pop in a bag and “mash”, then stuff into the figs. Add one more, if you would core the figs, add the “cores” to the food processer.
If you put other topics of intrest and brie in context, one could ask, would you eat a spoonful of brie mayonaise straight. There are double cream, and triple cream bries. What does this mean in context of the rind (thought it does taste so much better). If someone does prefer to eat or server it straight what then? I might reccommend that the top of the rind be scored in a grid type pattern.
This would allow guests to take, or “cut away from”, just a little bit, and then who knows.
And to the author, when speaking on brie and rind, to miss washed rind is not so hot. Sorry. Though you write very very well