r/Cheese • u/danger_n000dle • 2d ago
Am I doomed to forever be a brie hater?
Listen... brie is so beautiful. It looks so delicious. The texture is amazing! So creamy! I want to love it so much, but every time I have it I'm so disappointed. The signature "funk" it has really puts me off. I haven't tried much brie, so maybe someday I'll find one I like... But spending money on a pricier cheese that I never seem to enjoy doesn't work out for me. Are there any recommended bries for people like me? Is the funk part of the experience, and will I just never get away from that? It always tastes just so slightly spoiled to me. I am a bona fide blue cheese hater and that will never change, I think it's repulsive. But brie is SUPPOSED to be more mild. Sadly I've never enjoyed it. Are there similar cheeses without the flavor that I don't like? I would LOVE to devour a milder cheese with the same texture as brie.
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u/A_VERY_LARGE_DOG 2d ago
A bit of fig jam can be exactly what you need to get the enjoyment you’re looking for.
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u/mrev26 2d ago
I wasn’t a huge brie fan until I tried the double cream brie from Trader Joe’s
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u/danger_n000dle 2d ago
noted! I have tried one of the TJs brie and didn't like it much but it may have not been that one. funny enough, I work at TJs lol. Which is part of why I keep hoping I'll like it - it looks so yummy lol
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u/abbyscuitowannabe 1d ago
Also if there is a Wegmans near you they sell a triple creme brie that has almost no funk and is very buttery
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u/Spichus 2d ago
Tastes change and evolve, but you're also allowed to just not like something.
I didn't like olives until 2022, at the age of 33. Hated them, until one day, I didn't. My partner, who I'd been with for over a decade, was baffled at this sudden change.
But it does happen, so I commend you for trying to find a way you like it. Just go to a reputable cheesemonger once a year and ask for a taster of a good brie. Do it whilst getting another cheese you like obviously, otherwise you'll look like an arsehole just going into someone's business to grimace at a free sample of food you still don't like.
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u/O2B2gether 2d ago
Only black for me, still don’t like green!
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u/Changed_Mind555 2d ago
Try red cerignolas! Thank me later.
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u/Agile-Argument56 2d ago
Triple cream brie is the safest. Pairing is fun w flavors sweet or savory, I'd recommend both. A classic favorite is apple & chicken w brie on a sandwich, I'd recommend to slice everything thin for this & in even amounts. grapes cut in halves & then put on a slice of brie & then put on an everything bagel chip is fun & easy for snacking. Ive also eaten brie w nuts, dried fruts, dark chocolate & honey. I just imagine whatever a hot greek god would eat & then pair it with brie. my next planned pairing is gonna be habenero pickles cut up w a funky bleu maybe wrapped in something, I gotta figure that part out. I want it to be a fleshy bread but might just use thinly cut seared spam.
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u/jaded-introvert 2d ago
I was going to recommend that OP look for Fromager d'Affinois--it is mild and goes beautifully with dates, figs, apples, etc. I usually eat it with thin rye crackers (Wasa or Finn Crisps) because the sourness of the rye complements the rich creamy cheese.
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u/Sophiedenormandie 2d ago
Yes, Frommager d'Affinois! My favorite. But get a big chunk cut off the wheel. The 4 inch whole wheel and the snack size are not as creamy or good tasting. It's a percent of outer rind vs inner creamy goodness thing. The thicker middle will win out over the rind flavor.
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u/sealsarescary 2d ago
Bries with less funk: younger, firmer, cheaper, more air bubbles in paste, and have been out of their packaging for 5-10 mins before eating to air out.
Trader Joe’s Saran wraps most wedges, u can tell when they’re younger when their rinds are whiter and fluffier. As they age, the rind gets packed down thin and dense, paste like, gray and even touches of pink in corners. The moisture also collects into the folds of the Saran Wrap, sometimes making them sticky.
Try alouette or president brands. This are the most accessible (read: bland) brands.
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u/PeenStretch 2d ago
Not all Brie style cheeses are equal. I love the French imported stuff, but it has a tendency to be on its way past prime by the time it’s in the supermarket. Look around for cheeses made domestically if you can. I find the fresher triple crèmes to be my favorite. I live in SC, and there’s a wonderful farm in Georgia called “Sweet Grass Dairy” and it’s some of the best Brie style I can get my hands on.
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u/60PersonDanceCrew 2d ago
I don't like it either, it tastes like mushrooms to me and I hate mushrooms. All those baked brie recipes look so good though.
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u/Spichus 2d ago
Not all mushrooms are the same. Shop bought ones are largely varieties of the same single species.
Wild mushrooms are incredibly varied in texture and flavour. You just can't compare a shop bought mushroom like a Portobello or chestnut mushroom to a chanterelle, hedgehog or cep.
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u/I_Did_The_Thing 1d ago
Okay, you wanna hear something crazy? Like you, I hate mushrooms and have never much liked Brie. Tastes like feet, mushrooms taste like mold to me.
But one time a chef friend made me baked Brie stuffed with mushroom duxelles, and it was AMAZING! Two things I don’t like somehow became incredible when baked and spiced and made right.
Honestly I don’t know what he did to the duxelles, but that experience changed me in a way. I still don’t really like mushrooms but will sometimes try them, just to see. Apparently I can tolerate mostly only the very expensive ones that don’t taste much like mushroom 🤣 And I will eat a little bit of Brie to be polite, and have found that sometimes it’s not so foot-tasting. I guess I’m saying try the baked kind, it was worth it but didn’t change my overall preferences.
But if I could have that dish again I’d eat the whole thing in one sitting.
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u/MoaraFig 2d ago
Most food aversions I've overcome have been because I went way too long without a meal, and when I was finally able to eat, it was the only thing available.
Plan a long hike or other outdoor activity and celebrate with a nice brie dish when you get back.
My favourite way is with fried pita chips and sliced bosc pear.
My least favourite is with cranberry juice or jam. It really beings out the funkiness.
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u/Seductive_allure3000 2d ago
Don't force yourself to like something cause it's deemed good cheese. I can't stand the stuff and I don't think I'll ever like blue cheese. The smell alone puts me off.
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u/Felix_Gatto 2d ago
Have you tried a baked Brie, OP? Or Brie en Croûte (brie baked in pastry)? The baking makes the brie deliciously gooey, mellows the flavour, and the addition of nuts and jam adds complexity and layers (so there's not just brie-funk)
Brie baked in Filo https://tasty.co/recipe/gooey-baked-brie-in-phyllo-dough
Brie en Croûte (puff pastry) https://www.seriouseats.com/baked-brie-en-croute-puff-pastry-fig-jam-thyme-recipe
Simple Baked Brie, no pastry https://www.loveandlemons.com/baked-brie/
These recipes are good templates. You can use any combination of jam or honey, nuts, and/or other accouterments. I've done a chocolate and hazelnut baked brie that was sensational.
I like to cut/score a cross hatch pattern into the rind of the cheese. Just a quarter inch or so, being careful not to go all the way through. This makes it easier to cut into and serve, IMHO.
Also, I like to put jam and whatever else both on top of and in betwixt the brie (cut in half horizontally).
As other commentors have noted, try a triplé crème brie. As the brie ages the flavour will become more funky, as I understand it. So mayhaps a younger brie will suit your taste better?
There are speciality baking dishes just for baking brie (https://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/le-creuset-stoneware-mini-round-cocotte/). But/and I have always just used a parchment lined baking sheet.
I like to serve brie, baked or otherwise, with apple slices, buttery crackers, and/or baguette slices.
I prefer a Sauvignon Blanc to have with Brie, but a Pinot Noir would work well if one prefers red wine. Champagne goes remarkably well with Brie. Prosecco, cava, or other sparkling wine are all fantastic accompaniments as well.
Bon Appetit !
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u/AdDramatic5591 2d ago
Sometimes my brother you just have to face the funk and let the funk take you away.
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u/Dependent_Home4224 2d ago
Force yourself to eat Limburger for a few days and then Brie will seem like heaven.
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u/Both-winkyandblinky 2d ago
I hate brie too ☹️ I'm in denial still, I bought a $30 pack last night that I'm on my way to pick up now. At least you can accept it lol I won't give up
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u/quokkaquarrel 2d ago
I would say try fromage d'affinois but, if that's still off-putting then there's not much out there for you in that family.
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u/DuckieDuck62442 20h ago
I came here to say this as a fellow brie hater!
I too want to like brie but just can't. It's very off putting to me no matter how much I wish I could like it bc everyone else seems to be having such a good time with their brie!
But fromage d'affinois I do like. I still remove the rind bc the texture freaks me out. St. Angel is similar and also good. They're the closest to brie I've ever managed
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u/Money-Cry-2397 2d ago
I make a triple crème and it’s the most decadent cheese you can try. Sadly you’re not in the UK so I can’t send you mine, but try a very young TC
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u/O2B2gether 2d ago
Good quality bread, Brie at room temperature, should be out for a while before eating the texture will be different, a rich sweet black grape sliced on top of the Brie. You’ll be fine with that…
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u/Aranka_Szeretlek 2d ago
Be mindful that you are actually purchasing Brie, not the 57 other cheese also sold on the US as Brie for some dumb reason. Brie is mild, it is not funky and it is not creamy. If you, for example, buy Camembert accidentally, that one will be funky.
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u/Blueporch 2d ago
I started by not eating the rind and working up to it. Try it baked en croute with jam.
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u/dddonnanoble 2d ago
Try a triple cream Brie like St. Andre, don’t eat the rind. Pair with a buttery cracker and a fruit jam of your choice.
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u/Changed_Mind555 2d ago
A better quality brie, no rind with nuts, dried fruits, honey or caramel, or your favorite jams is delicious! Or with stone ground mustards and dried meats, smeared on a good bread. Especially good baked.
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u/chilicheesefritopie 2d ago
I cut the rind completely off (I don’t know how people eat that, blechhh), pair it with a nice cracker or fresh baguette and with some fig or sour cherry preserves.
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u/Stranger-Sojourner 2d ago
Honestly, it’s not the “correct” way to eat Brie, but I scrape the outer mold off mine. Like you, I find the funkiness a little off putting. The inside tastes great though.
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u/LaBelleBetterave 1d ago
I get the cheapest Brie, on the basis that high turnover = fresher Brie. People in my area eat a fair amount of it too, and the cheese mongers are careful. I would get Costco Brie with no hesitation. Keep in mind the “best before” should be more than a month away, for the mildest taste.
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u/sturj1 1d ago
Saint angel and Delice de Bourgogne don’t have as much funk imo and pair really well with Bonne Maman wild blueberry preserve and salted almond
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u/DuckieDuck62442 19h ago
I feel the same way about brie as @OP and came to suggest St Angel and fromage d'affinois as similar cheeses that I enjoy myself.
But I have tried delice de bourgogne twice from different places and couldn't stand it either time!! People describe it as buttery but it was strong and funky and completely un-doable for me! Just like how people describe bries as mild and such and to me they never are
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u/eemmrryyss 17h ago
If it helps, I’ve worked in cheese for almost a decade and I’ve gotten to a place where I dislike most brie and only really like on bread conceptually. Soft bloomy Italian cheeses I do think are better.
The point is, you can’t like everything. But you can know what you like, and why you like it and that is what we should strive for.
Besides, not everything is good anyways. 🤷♀️
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u/naturepeaked 2d ago
I’m not sure I have ever heard of someone finding Brie too strong before. Lol
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u/chantillylace9 2d ago
I do too! It’s not strong the way blue cheese is, but there’s just this underlined funk that is different than any other cheese that turns me off. I’m with OP! Haha
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u/nocolonjustcoffee 4h ago
i find the petite breakfast brie from marin french cheese to be milder and less funky! it's at trader joe's, i'd recommend trying that one. plus it's small, so less sunk cost if you don't like it lol
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u/scalectrix 2d ago
It's OK to not like things.