Brie de Meaux Cheese vs Queso Los Beyos

Brie de Meaux Cheese is a soft cow-milk cheese from France, while Queso Los Beyos is hard to semi-hard, closed, friable, crumbly, minimal elasticity and made from cow, goat, or sheep milk.

What Is Brie de Meaux Cheese?

Brie de Meaux is a soft cheese made from raw cow's milk in the Brie region of France, an AOC product since 1980. Wheels run 36 to 37 cm (14 to 14+1/2 in) across, with a delicate white rind and a straw-yellow, creamy interior.

What Is Queso Los Beyos?

Queso de Los Beyos is a protected geographical indication cheese from the Los Beyos gorge, shared by Ponga and Amieva in Asturias and Oseja de Sajambre in Leon, Spain. It is a small smoked cheese of cow, goat, or sheep milk, semi-hard to hard, with a mild acidic tang.

What's the Difference Between Brie de Meaux Cheese and Queso Los Beyos?

• Milk type: Brie de Meaux Cheese (cow's milk), Queso Los Beyos (Cow’s, sheep’s, or goat’s milk (never mixed))
• Milk treatment: Brie de Meaux Cheese (unpasteurized), Queso Los Beyos (Raw or pasteurized)
• Texture: Brie de Meaux Cheese (Soft), Queso Los Beyos (Hard to semi-hard, closed, friable, crumbly, minimal elasticity)
• Rind: Brie de Meaux Cheese (White mold), Queso Los Beyos (Thin, coarse, creamy yellow to light brown)
• Aging: Brie de Meaux Cheese (Minimum of 4 weeks), Queso Los Beyos (Minimum 15 days, or 60 days if made from raw milk)
• Taste: Brie de Meaux Cheese (Cream, butter, hazelnuts), Queso Los Beyos (Mild (cow’s milk), more intense (sheep’s and goat’s milk))

Side-by-Side Comparison

Taste Comparison: Does Brie de Meaux Cheese Taste Like Queso Los Beyos?

Brie de Meaux Cheese reads as cream, butter, hazelnuts, while Queso Los Beyos brings mild (cow’s milk), more intense (sheep’s and goat’s milk) character. On the nose, Brie de Meaux Cheese offers buttery, sweet, contrasted with Queso Los Beyos's mild in cow’s milk cheese, stronger in sheep’s and goat’s cheese. More specifically, Brie de Meaux Cheese shows delicate aromas of cream, butter, and hazelnuts, while Queso Los Beyos leans toward slightly salty, lightly acidic, fresh milky aftertaste (cow’s), stronger and longer-lasting in sheep’s and goat’s versions. Aging plays into this as well. Brie de Meaux Cheese at minimum of 4 weeks develops a different profile than Queso Los Beyos at minimum 15 days, or 60 days if made from raw milk.

Can You Substitute Brie de Meaux Cheese for Queso Los Beyos?

Brie de Meaux Cheese can stand in for Queso Los Beyos in many dishes, but the switch will shift the overall character of the recipe. Expect soft bite and body where the recipe calls for hard to semi-hard, closed, friable, crumbly, minimal elasticity. Flavor-wise, Brie de Meaux Cheese reads as cream, butter, hazelnuts while Queso Los Beyos brings mild (cow’s milk), more intense (sheep’s and goat’s milk) notes.

Which Is Better, Brie de Meaux Cheese or Queso Los Beyos?

There's no single winner. It depends on your recipe and the profile you want. If you want a soft cheese, go with Brie de Meaux Cheese. For a hard to semi-hard, closed, friable, crumbly, minimal elasticity profile, Queso Los Beyos is the better fit. Flavor-wise, Brie de Meaux Cheese suits recipes that want cream, butter, hazelnuts notes, while Queso Los Beyos fits dishes calling for mild (cow’s milk), more intense (sheep’s and goat’s milk).

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Brie de Meaux Cheese the same as Queso Los Beyos?

No, they're distinct cheeses. Brie de Meaux Cheese is made from cow milk; Queso Los Beyos uses cow, goat, or sheep. Aging also differs: Brie de Meaux Cheese is typically aged minimum of 4 weeks, Queso Los Beyos minimum 15 days, or 60 days if made from raw milk.

Is Brie de Meaux Cheese similar to Queso Los Beyos?

Not closely. They use different milk bases and have distinct profiles.

Can I substitute Brie de Meaux Cheese for Queso Los Beyos?

You can, but expect a shift in richness and milk character.

Does Brie de Meaux Cheese taste like Queso Los Beyos?

Brie de Meaux Cheese reads as cream, butter, hazelnuts, while Queso Los Beyos is mild (cow’s milk), more intense (sheep’s and goat’s milk). Aromas also diverge. Brie de Meaux Cheese leans buttery, sweet, and Queso Los Beyos is closer to mild in cow’s milk cheese, stronger in sheep’s and goat’s cheese.

What is Brie de Meaux Cheese made of?

Brie de Meaux Cheese is made from cow milk (unpasteurized), using bovi rennet. It's typically aged minimum of 4 weeks. It originates in France.

What is Queso Los Beyos made of?

Queso Los Beyos is made from cow, goat, or sheep milk (raw or pasteurized), using animal rennet. It's typically aged minimum 15 days, or 60 days if made from raw milk.

Which should I choose, Brie de Meaux Cheese or Queso Los Beyos?

It depends on the dish. The texture difference is the biggest practical tell. Brie de Meaux Cheese is soft, while Queso Los Beyos is hard to semi-hard, closed, friable, crumbly, minimal elasticity.