Don't Like - Hating On Brie

As an American, the first gourmet cheese you’ll eat is most likely brie and those first bites will be a revelation. The cheese doesn’t come shrink wrapped in a block, pre-sliced or shredded. It’s soft and creamy in a way that American cheeses seldom are. Maybe you’ll have it on a slice of baguette or on an apple. Either way, it’s delicious and now you’re officially cheese curious. From there it’s a wide and wonderful world of triple cremes, hard cheeses, washed rinds, aged parmesans, goudas, blue cheese, extra rich cheddars, and whatever else is in the cheese case. You might soon find yourself on a first name basis with your local cheesemonger as you plumb these dairy depths. But somewhere along your journey you might find yourself thumbing your nose at the cheese that got you hooked—I know because I have. It’s easy for brie to feel basic, unsophisticated, or rudimentary but that doesn’t mean it isn’t delicious. There’s a reason it’s the cheese that made you fall in love with cheese, right? However, if you can’t remember, go get a reminder. I had a ham & brie sandwich the other day that was absolutely delicious because of the big, thick slices of brie. As I enjoyed it, I felt silly for ever looking down on this cheese.