Brin d'Amour Cheese vs Picodon Cheese
Brin d'Amour Cheese is a soft to firm sheep-milk cheese from France, while Picodon Cheese is homogeneous, smooth, and fine; can become crumbly if matured longer and made from goat milk.
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 Is Picodon Cheese?
Picodon is a small goat's milk cheese from the Rhône area of southern France, made mainly in the Ardèche and Drôme. Its name means spicy in Occitan, and it is known for a dry, fine paste that hardens and sharpens with age.
What's the Difference Between Brin d'Amour Cheese and Picodon Cheese?
- Milk type: Brin d'Amour Cheese (sheep's milk), Picodon Cheese (Goat's milk)
- Texture: Brin d'Amour Cheese (Soft to firm), Picodon Cheese (Homogeneous, smooth, and fine; can become crumbly if matured longer)
- Rind: Brin d'Amour Cheese (Natural), Picodon Cheese (Fine, lightly covered with uniform or speckled moulds)
- Aging: Brin d'Amour Cheese (1 to 3 months), Picodon Cheese (Marketed starting 12 days after renneting; 30 days for "matured and washed" or "matured using the Dieulefit method")
- Taste: Brin d'Amour Cheese (Earthy), Picodon Cheese (Frank, capric with notes of nut and mushroom, occasional pungency)
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Brin d'Amour Cheese | Picodon Cheese | |
|---|---|---|
| Country of Origin | France | — |
| Specific Origin | Corsica, France | Ardèche And Drôme Regions, Including Parts Of Gard And Vaucluse |
| Milk Type | Sheep's milk | Goat's milk |
| Milk Treatment | Raw | Raw, non-standardized, unhomogenized |
| Texture | Soft to firm | Homogeneous, smooth, and fine; can become crumbly if matured longer |
| Rind | Natural | Fine, lightly covered with uniform or speckled moulds |
| Aging | 1 to 3 months | Marketed starting 12 days after renneting; 30 days for "matured and washed" or "matured using the Dieulefit method" |
| Taste | Earthy | Frank, capric with notes of nut and mushroom, occasional pungency |
Taste Comparison: Does Brin d'Amour Cheese Taste Like Picodon Cheese?
Brin d'Amour Cheese reads as earthy, while Picodon Cheese brings frank, capric with notes of nut and mushroom, occasional pungency character. More specifically, Brin d'Amour Cheese shows pronounced milk flavor, intensifies with age; herb influence grows, while Picodon Cheese leans toward nut, light notes of mushroom, occasional pungency, possible fermentative taste. Aging plays into this as well. Brin d'Amour Cheese at 1 to 3 months develops a different profile than Picodon Cheese at marketed starting 12 days after renneting; 30 days for "matured and washed" or "matured using the dieulefit method".
Can You Substitute Brin d'Amour Cheese for Picodon Cheese?
Brin d'Amour Cheese can stand in for Picodon Cheese in many dishes, but the switch will shift the overall character of the recipe. Expect soft to firm bite and body where the recipe calls for homogeneous, smooth, and fine; can become crumbly if matured longer. Flavor-wise, Brin d'Amour Cheese reads as earthy while Picodon Cheese brings frank, capric with notes of nut and mushroom, occasional pungency notes.
Which Is Better, Brin d'Amour Cheese or Picodon Cheese?
There's no single winner. It depends on your recipe and the profile you want. If you want a soft to firm cheese, go with Brin d'Amour Cheese. For a homogeneous, smooth, and fine; can become crumbly if matured longer profile, Picodon Cheese is the better fit. Flavor-wise, Brin d'Amour Cheese suits recipes that want earthy notes, while Picodon Cheese fits dishes calling for frank, capric with notes of nut and mushroom, occasional pungency.
Which is your favorite?
One click, anonymous. See what others chose.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Brin d'Amour Cheese the same as Picodon Cheese?
No, they're distinct cheeses. Brin d'Amour Cheese is made from sheep milk; Picodon Cheese uses goat. Aging also differs: Brin d'Amour Cheese is typically aged 1 to 3 months, Picodon Cheese marketed starting 12 days after renneting; 30 days for "matured and washed" or "matured using the dieulefit method".
Is Brin d'Amour Cheese similar to Picodon Cheese?
Not closely. They use different milk bases and have distinct profiles.
Can I substitute Brin d'Amour Cheese for Picodon Cheese?
You can, but expect a shift in richness and milk character.
Does Brin d'Amour Cheese taste like Picodon Cheese?
Brin d'Amour Cheese reads as earthy, while Picodon Cheese is frank, capric with notes of nut and mushroom, occasional pungency.
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.
What is Picodon Cheese made of?
Picodon Cheese is made from goat milk (raw, non-standardized, unhomogenized), using small amount used, lactic coagulation rennet. It's typically aged marketed starting 12 days after renneting; 30 days for "matured and washed" or "matured using the dieulefit method".
Which should I choose, Brin d'Amour Cheese or Picodon Cheese?
It depends on the dish. The texture difference is the biggest practical tell. Brin d'Amour Cheese is soft to firm, while Picodon Cheese is homogeneous, smooth, and fine; can become crumbly if matured longer.