Brie noir

You have probably never seen it on sale. Difficult to find outside of Brie, “Brie noir” is a hidden gem and local speciality. Less refined and alluring than his big brother Brie de Meaux, it has now got a name for itself, thanks to its strong taste. Regardless of its dark brown colour, it is still referred to as Brie noir (black brie), probably to accentuate the difference with regular Brie, with its white colour and distinctive rind. This variety of Brie can be distinguished by its thorough maturing period of 8 to 10 months, sometimes longer, unlike AOC Brie, which has a minimum maturing period of 4 weeks. At the end of this long period, the artisan producers have completed their work. The rind has transformed itself into a thick shell, the interior has changed from a shade of ivory to the colour of straw, and the flavour has become stronger.

A history of contrasts

The history of Brie noir is not prolific. Whilst its “white” counterpart’s past is full of flowery stories and titles of nobility, Brie noir is regularly forgotten. This could be due to the fact that this cheese has for a long time been considered a frugality, the food of peasants, when Brie de Meaux featured on the tables of royalty. One represented finesse and refinement, the other strength and ruggedness.

However, the two are inextricably linked. What’s more, in all probability, Brie noir only came into existence due to random production and money troubles. The custom was to transform the surplus production of Brie into Brie noir. Nothing is lost, everything is transformed. Just as, later on, all Brie judged unsatisfactory was placed into cellars to become Brie noir. Whether it was too small, or too dry, every difference condemned the cheese to a supplementary maturing period. “All the cheeses that weren’t up to scratch were left to dry out, so that nothing would be wasted”, tells Pierre Bobin, from the Société fromagère de la Brie (Brie association).

The product of a mistake,the black cheese, sold at a cheaper cost, attracted another kind of clientele. Its nicknames explain it all: ‘Brie de moissons’ (harvest brie) and ‘Brie des vendanges’ (Brie of the grape-harvest), was sometimes eaten by grape-pickers in the Champagne region. Its interior, less creamy, could be kept for longer, and provided a tasty filling for the sandwiches of farm workers, as it was a cheese that resisted the intense heat.

Les ouvriers agricoles ont cessé d’en consommer et les progrès techniques ont permis de lisser les aléas de production, privant le brie noir de sa fonction originelle. Et puisque tout ce qui est beau est forcément bon, le consommateur s’est mis à exiger un brie à croûte parfaite : avec son feutrage blanc à peine strié de taches orangées. "Plus personne ne désirait faire du brie noir, témoigne Eric Scellier de la fromagerie du Dolloir (Chezy-sur-Marne, 02). Comme il n’était pas beau, il ne se vendait pas."

Farm workers have now stopped eating it and technical progress has smoothed out the dangers of production, taking away the original function of Brie noir. And since everything that’s good must also be beautiful, the consumer began to demand Brie with a perfect rind, perfectly white. “No one else wanted to make Brie noir”, tells Eric Scellier from the Dolloir Fromagerie (Chezy-sur-Mame). “Because it didn’t look good, it didn’t sell”.

From austerity to posterity

Isabell Ganot, from the Fromagerie Ganot, fifth generation of cheesemakers, also remembers this period not so far off, when Brie noir was in jeopardy. “During this period, the consumer was only interested in products which looked good. Today, people are coming round to the idea of this good product and its pronounced flavour.”
And in the cheese cellars of Dolloir, Ganot or Loiseau, several hundred Brie noir are ripening again, enveloped in the strong characteristic smell of ammonia. These odours attack the nose and the eyes. “We call that releasing the fire” smiles Stéphane Ganot, the brother, “it happens ten to twelve weeks after they are put in the cellar.”

The brie often stay in the cellars, sometimes for up to 18 months, or even 2 years in extreme cases! Beyond that, the cheese only conserves a bit of the soft interior and transforms itself into “lace” as Pierre Bobin puts it. During the course of its maturation, the brie loses its water bit by bit and watches its weight drop. Whilst a Brie de Meaux weighs on average 3.2kg, a Brie noir weighs just about 2kg, after its weight loss.

Getting up to date

With the Loiseau’s in Achères-la-Forêt, even if it’s said that there has always been a loyal set of customers for ‘Melun noir’, a renewed level of interest has also been noticed in the past few years. ‘Before, it was a product that got hidden a bit. When I was a child, it was often put at the side of the counter. Now, we don’t hesitate to let people try it’, celebrates Sophie Loiseau. Making the most of from the return of all things local and all things authentic, Brie noir is back. It’s a sure sign, when even the big Seine-et-Marnaise retailers are selling it on their shelves! The people of Brie are regaining their heritage, and can be proud when they hear Sophie Loiseau saying “we see it at the market. It’s a product that people love sharing with friends from other regions.”

This renewed interest should however be put into context. Because even if the Loiseau Fromagerie is shipping it year in year out, including a few dozen to Japan, exportation remains episodic. Brie Noir is still mostly consumed in the Ile-de-France, and in particular, in the region of Seine-et-Marne

Dipped in black coffee

Brie Noir no doubt owes its comeback to its uniqueness, with its pronounced flavour which stays in the mouth a long time after the last bite and has sometimes been likened to soap. It’s so strong in flavour, that the elderly dip it in their morning coffee. This type of consumption is disappearing and today, younger generations are placing it more on their cheese boards, beginning with the softer cheeses and then finishing with a Brie Noir cut into small slices, unlike the classic Brie. Some even advise to eat it alone, without any other cheeses, because of its strong taste. Pierre Bobin describes its “range of interesting flavours” and recommends accompanying it with a sweet wine.

Ofcourse, the same can be said for Brie noir, as for younger Brie. According to its age, according to who made it, according to the season, all different questions can be raised for the likes of Brie de Meaux, Brie de Melun, and Coulommiers. ‘A bad Brie will make a bad Brie noir’, summarises Pierre Bobin. What’s more, in order to make sure that the cheese matures as it should, they must be looked after like other types of Brie; they need to be turned twice a month, and washed, the atmosphere of the cellar must be monitored with very little transfer of oxygen, and contain lots of carbon dioxide.

It’s a bit of payback taken on “white’ brie”. This Brie Noir, a short time ago cheap and cheerful has found its place on the cheeseboard and transformed itself into an upmarket product, which is sometimes even sold more expensively than AOC Brie.