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Key takeaways
- Take it out of the fridge 30 to 60 minutes before serving. Eating it cold is safe, but it tastes better at room temperature.
- Eat the rind. Don't leave the soft cheese behind and eat only the middle.
- Slice Brie like a cake, from one end, and never cut off the tip.
- Serve with bread: a baguette, torn by hand, is traditional. Crackers work too.
Serve it at room temperature
Cheese isn't really meant to be eaten cold. Take Brie or Camembert out of the fridge about 30 minutes to an hour before serving, so the center can soften. Don't leave it out for more than two hours, or one hour if it's above 90°F (32°C). If you do eat it straight from the fridge it's perfectly safe, it just tastes more muted. The same 30 minutes also clears any ammonia smell that built up in the packaging.
Eat the rind
The white rind is made to be eaten, and many people consider it the tastier part. Keep the rind attached when you cut a piece, and don't scrape the soft cheese off the rind. If you really don't want the rind, remove it on your own plate or into a napkin. Can I eat the rind of cheese? has the longer answer.
How to cut it
Never cut the tip or corners off a wedge of Brie. Doing so, called "pointing the Brie", is a huge faux pas. Cut it as you would a cake or a pie: slice from one end, never from the middle, so the slices radiate around the point and everyone gets a similar portion. A flat cheese knife works well. How to cut cheese has a diagram for soft wedges.
A cheese knife set
A basic set covers soft, semi-firm and hard cheeses: a soft cheese knife, a flat knife and a small pointed knife for hard cheeses.
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What to serve it with
Brie is traditionally eaten with baguette, and you should tear the bread by hand instead of cutting it with a knife. Crackers work in a pinch, and bread in general is great for cleaning up the plate. In a restaurant, Camembert usually arrives on a slate with a fruit preserve or honey and a few slices of day-old baguette. See what goes with Brie and Camembert for more ideas.