Source of milk Cows Aging time 1–2 weeks Country of origin France Rind White-crusted Aging 1-2 weeks | Dimensions 4 × 12-13 cm Milk source Dairy cattle Region of origin Burgundy, Normandy Texture Soft | |
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Similar Brie, Chaource cheese, Époisses de Bourgogne, Langres cheese, Brie de Meaux | ||
Brillat-Savarin is a soft, white-crusted cow's milk cheese with at least 75% fat in dry matter (roughly 40% overall). It was created c. 1890 as "Excelsior" or "Délice des gourmets" ("Gourmets' delight") by the Dubuc family, near Forges-les-Eaux (Seine-Maritime). Cheese-maker Henri Androuët renamed it in the 1930s, as an homage to 18th-century French gourmet and political figure Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin.
Brillat-Savarin is produced all year round in Burgundy and Normandy. It comes in 12–13 cm (4.7–5.1 in) wheels and approximately 4 cm thick, and is aged for one to two weeks. It is also available as a fresh cheese (non affiné) that resembles rich cream cheese.
It is a triple cream Brie that is luscious, creamy and faintly sour.
The French cheesemaking company Rouzaire also produces an older Brillat Savarin under the name Pierre Robert. The extra aging time concentrates the proteins and salt in the cheese, resulting in deeper earthy flavors and more intense salty taste. Wheels of Pierre Robert are physically smaller (due to loss of moisture), yet creamier than the regular-aged Brillat Savarin.
