Blue Cheese vs Brin d'Amour Cheese

Blue Cheese is a crumbly, creamy, semi-soft cow, goat, or sheep-milk cheese from France, while Brin d'Amour Cheese is soft to firm and made from sheep milk, originating in France.

What Is Blue Cheese?

Blue cheese is any cheese made with edible mold cultures that form blue-green spots and veins through the paste. It ranges from mild and slightly sweet to salty and sharp, and from almost liquid to hard.

What Is Brin d'Amour Cheese?

Brin d'amour is a Corsican raw sheep's milk cheese created in the 1950s. It is known for a natural rind dusted with herbs of the maquis, which pass their flavor into the soft ivory paste as the cheese ages.

What's the Difference Between Blue Cheese and Brin d'Amour Cheese?

• Milk type: Blue Cheese (Cow, Sheep, Goat), Brin d'Amour Cheese (sheep's milk)
• Milk treatment: Blue Cheese (Pasteurized or Raw), Brin d'Amour Cheese (raw)
• Texture: Blue Cheese (Crumbly, Creamy, Semi-Soft), Brin d'Amour Cheese (Soft to firm)
• Aging: Blue Cheese (Typically aged 2-6 months), Brin d'Amour Cheese (1 to 3 months)
• Taste: Blue Cheese (Sharp, Tangy, Savory, Salty, Pungent), Brin d'Amour Cheese (Earthy)

Side-by-Side Comparison

Taste Comparison: Does Blue Cheese Taste Like Brin d'Amour Cheese?

Blue Cheese reads as sharp, tangy, savory, salty, pungent, while Brin d'Amour Cheese brings earthy character. On the nose, Blue Cheese offers strong, pungent, earthy, funky, contrasted with Brin d'Amour Cheese's herbaceous. More specifically, Blue Cheese shows earthy, spicy, peppery, slightly sweet, umami, nutty, bitter, while Brin d'Amour Cheese leans toward pronounced milk flavor, intensifies with age; herb influence grows. Aging plays into this as well. Blue Cheese at typically aged 2-6 months develops a different profile than Brin d'Amour Cheese at 1 to 3 months.

Can You Substitute Blue Cheese for Brin d'Amour Cheese?

Blue Cheese can stand in for Brin d'Amour Cheese in many dishes, but the switch will shift the overall character of the recipe. Expect crumbly, creamy, semi-soft bite and body where the recipe calls for soft to firm. Flavor-wise, Blue Cheese reads as sharp, tangy, savory, salty, pungent while Brin d'Amour Cheese brings earthy notes.

Which Is Better, Blue Cheese or Brin d'Amour Cheese?

There's no single winner. It depends on your recipe and the profile you want. If you want a crumbly, creamy, semi-soft cheese, go with Blue Cheese. For a soft to firm profile, Brin d'Amour Cheese is the better fit. Flavor-wise, Blue Cheese suits recipes that want sharp, tangy, savory, salty, pungent notes, while Brin d'Amour Cheese fits dishes calling for earthy.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Blue Cheese the same as Brin d'Amour Cheese?

No, they're distinct cheeses. Blue Cheese is made from cow, goat, or sheep milk; Brin d'Amour Cheese uses sheep. Aging also differs: Blue Cheese is typically aged typically aged 2-6 months, Brin d'Amour Cheese 1 to 3 months.

Is Blue Cheese similar to Brin d'Amour Cheese?

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

Can I substitute Blue Cheese for Brin d'Amour Cheese?

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

Does Blue Cheese taste like Brin d'Amour Cheese?

Blue Cheese reads as sharp, tangy, savory, salty, pungent, while Brin d'Amour Cheese is earthy. Aromas also diverge. Blue Cheese leans strong, pungent, earthy, funky, and Brin d'Amour Cheese is closer to herbaceous.

What is Blue Cheese made of?

Blue Cheese is made from cow, goat, or sheep milk (pasteurized or raw), using traditional (animal rennet) or microbial (varies by producer) rennet. It's typically aged typically aged 2-6 months. It originates in France.

What is Brin d'Amour Cheese made of?

Brin d'Amour Cheese is made from sheep milk (raw). It's typically aged 1 to 3 months. It originates in France.

Which should I choose, Blue Cheese or Brin d'Amour Cheese?

It depends on the dish. The texture difference is the biggest practical tell. Blue Cheese is crumbly, creamy, semi-soft, while Brin d'Amour Cheese is soft to firm.