Brie is a soft French cheese that is very popular in the US.

It made from cow’s milk and can be used in pastries as a dip or a spread.

However, when brie is not available, one of the closest substitutes for brie, especially when it comes to its texture and flavor is taleggio cheese.

Taleggio is an Italian cheese with a mild flavor and creamy texture that can be compared to that of brie cheese.  

Although taleggio can make a good substitute for brie, there are a few differences one should take note of when using it in place of brie cheese.

Taleggio vs brie

Pungency

Taleggio has a particularly strong smell.

Brie cheese lacks the pungent aroma that is in taleggio cheese  

The pungent aroma in taleggio cheese becomes more pronounced as the cheese ages   

The pungency is as a result of the bacterium that is found in the rinds of taleggio cheese.

Rind

Taleggio cheese has a washed rind while Brie cheese has a bloomy rind.

As taleggio ages, the surface of the cheese is washed with brine which promotes the growth of a certain kind of edible bacterium.

The presence of this bacterium also lead to characteristics such as the reddish-orange coloration on the rind as well its pungent aroma.

The rind also helps to make the texture of the interior of the cheese creamier by breaking down the fats and proteins in the cheese  

For brie cheese, the rind consists of molds formed by spraying spores of Penicillium candidum over brie cheese. The mold can also form naturally.

What is taleggio?  

A semi soft cheese from the Lombardy region of Italy.

Taleggio is made from cow’s milk. It is traditionally aged in caves for up to ten weeks on wooden planks and it becomes softer the more it ages. 

Produced in autumn and winter, this cheese can be molded into a rectangular or square shape.

This cheese has a washed rid from treating the surface with salt and brine.

It is a mild cheese with a slight fruity flavor and Pungent aroma  

Taleggio can be used as a dessert cheese paired with a wide variety of wines.

It is spread over bread in bruschetta. Pasta. salads, and risotto can be eaten with this variety of soft cheese  

What is Brie Cheese? 

A French soft cheese that is popular worldwide.

This soft cheese originally from the region of brie in France for which it takes its name after. 

Traditionally brie is produced using unpasteurized cow milk, Brie can also be produced from pasteurized milk and, sometimes it is also made from goat’s milk.

It has a rich and buttery flavor.

Brie cheese made of pasteurized milk have a milder flavor than authentic French brie. 

Pasteurization, however, gives the cheese a longer shelf life. 

After the curds form, the curds are inserted into round molds  

This cheese is also salted and aged for at least four weeks. 

There are different varieties of brie. Brie de Meaux and Brie de Melun are among the popular varieties.

Brie cheese has a creamy interior with a soft, bloomy edible rind that is made up of white molds of penicillium. 

It is used as a dessert cheese. It can also be used in sandwiches or even pastries.

Brie cheese is rich in protein, vitamins, and calcium. It also has a relatively high fat and sodium content.