Although most Americans know what to do with cheddar or pepper jack cheese, Brie is one of those foreign cheeses that many people are intimidated by. If you have not heard of Brie, it is a really popular French cheese; you can find it at most grocery stores. I have received a lot of questions over the years about how to eat Brie—and there is short answer and a long answer, as my readers will know. Short answer, eat it how it tastes good to you; but, below are some pretty solid guidelines, which you can follow to break into your first Brie.

Eat it by the slice.

The culture of Brie in France, comes with some pretty specific rules for eating, particularly about the way you serve and slice the cheese. You can see the full list on my previous article, everything you need to know about Brie, but here is a sampling:

Brie etiquette

• Eat Brie at room temperature. When it has been stored in the fridge or wrapped in plastic packaging Brie can build up an ammonia smell and taste, which easily dissipates when left on the counter in room temperature for about 30 minutes.
• Never cut the tip or corners off of the Brie; this act of “pointing the Brie” is a huge faux pas and will never go over well.
• It is a general rule that you should always cut a block of cheese as to not misshapen it; that being said, it is advisable to cut Brie, as if cutting pieces of a cake, in slices.
• Always slice from one end, never start in the middle of the block of cheese.
• You want to make sure that you cut the Brie such that everyone with you can enjoy a similarly sized portion.

Pointing the Brie

Above, "Pointing the Brie," specifically refers to cutting the tip or edges of the cheese off, and any time I mention that term, my readers seem to come back and say, "well, how are you supposed to cut the cheese, if not by cutting it from the tip or edges?"

I wrote an article more specifically about how to cut cheeses, where I included a diagram for soft wedges. Brie and Camembert are great examples of soft wedge cheeses, so when you are cutting your piece you can reference the image below as a guide. The main idea being, you are cutting through the point and the wide end of the block—such that the slices radiate around the point. If you've ever cut and served an apple pie, it follows the same rules. See the diagram below for a visual:

Eat the rind

Definitely eat the rind; many people consider it the tastier part of Brie. Never cut a piece of Brie from a block in public detaching the soft cheese from the rind. The rind should always be attached when leaving the cheese plate. If you are really not interested in eating the rind, then you may remove it on your own plate or into a napkin.

Eat it with bread and toppings

It is traditional to eat Brie with bread, namely baguette; when doing this, you should rip a piece of baguette with your hand as opposed to cutting it with a knife.

Don't stop with bread though, Brie goes great with fruits and nuts. Think about pairing your Brie with fresh apples or pears—or any kind of preserve. One of my favorite combinations is Brie with some honey and walnuts.

Pair Brie with wine

If you're the type that enjoys a good wine with your cheese, consider pairing your Brie with a Champagne or Pino Grigio/Gris in the white range, and a Merlot or Pinot Noir in the reds.

If you're really interested in wine and cheese pairings I made a really easy to use guide that you can download when you subscribe to my email newsletter. The guide contains wines and cheeses that are readily available in your supermarket, so you'll be able to throw an impressive wine and cheese event.

Bake your Brie

So, I know I just said, eat your Brie at room temperature, but you can go hotter than room temperature. It is really popular to bake Brie in the oven to loosen it up and pump up the goo-factor.

A really easy baked brie recipe is to put your Brie on some parchment or aluminum foil on a baking tray and cover it with honey and walnuts. Once you've done that, you simply need to put it in an oven for 6-7 minutes at 350 (180C).