Bad Brie?

[crono760]

So I've recently learned that we have a cheese monger not 5 minutes from my house. He sells the most wonderful raw milk cheeses, and I've fallen in love with Piave cheese in particular.

I decided to try out what I've been told is a "real" brie, the "Brie de Meaux"...except that when I brought it home, it tasted terrible. I've heard that Brie is supposed to have a slight "ammonia" taste...but this was overwhelmingly bad. Did we get a bad piece, or was it supposed to taste like that? We tasted a few other cheeses that were decidedly terrible as well, so I can't really tell

Mike

[QSis]

I don't know about what you had, crono, but I once bought a big wedge of brie for $1.00 at an open air market that's famous for discount prices (Boston's Haymarket).

The brie smelled just like urine and tasted horrible. Had to toss it.

Up until now, I just assumed it was overripe, but maybe it was similar to your "real brie". In any case, I couldn't eat it.

Lee

[TATTRAT]

it should have a medium rind, and it will smell...it is mold, but the flavor should be like slightly sweetened, yet slightly sour cream, and the texture should give under the cut of a knife, and stick just a little, but melt in your mouth, and be palatable.

IF there is any type of aroma of ammonia, which I never honestly thought of until now, it would be VERY faint, and just in the nose as the cheese enters your mouth.

As for the other cheeses, well I would be bummed if your monger is passing along bunk cheeses. Sure some are stronger then others, but a good cheese is a GOOD cheese.

[crono760]

Originally Posted by QSis

I don't know about what you had, crono, but I once bought a big wedge of brie for $1.00 at an open air market that's famous for discount prices (Boston's Haymarket).

The brie smelled just like urine and tasted horrible. Had to toss it.

Up until now, I just assumed it was overripe, but maybe it was similar to your "real brie". In any case, I couldn't eat it.

Lee

That explains it pretty well. I've had Brie that has been exactly as Tattarat described, and I thought that maybe I'd just been buying "Americanized" Brie. It's good to know that I was eating bad cheese, because...I can't imagine why anyone would eat what I bought

[jpmcgrew]

Brie should not have even the slightest hint of ammonia the mold on the outside should be the purest white if not it is to old. Any ammonia smell means it's bad. Why would anyone want to eat a cheese that has even the slightest hint of ammonia?

[jpmcgrew]

It's hard to get a good brie that isn't old ( unless you live in a place that sells it all the time meaning it turns over quickly when it is fresh even the mold is fantastic and is supposed to be eaten. Again it should not have even the slightest ammonia smell.

[shortchef]

I bought some Brie several years ago by a guy who had just opened a cheese shop in town. It smelled like ammonia, we couldn't get it past our noses. I took it back and he tried to make a fool out of me, saying that is how it is supposed to taste. He did refund my money,but I never went back.
By the way,if you do come across some really good Brie, buy extra, wrap it really tight, and freeze it. If you have a Foodsaver, freeze the cheese and put it in one of those bags. It freezes very well and does not lose its taste.

[bowlingshirt]

I typed "brie ammonia" into a search engine and it found several articles about brie being over-ripened if it has this smell.

[jpmcgrew]

Also as I said before be sure the rind is pure white if it has any yellowing of brown it already smells like ammonia. I look for the white rind and then check expiration dates then I pick the one with the longest exp date.

Glossary of Cheese Terms

[jpmcgrew]

Originally Posted by bowlingshirt

I typed "brie ammonia" into a search engine and it found several articles about brie being over-ripened if it has this smell.

or mishandled or tempurature fluctuations. I have people who insist the ammonia smell is normal it is not.