# Do you eat brie rind?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-eat-brie-rind/275757
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [November 20, 2004, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-eat-brie-rind/275757 "2004-11-20T00:12:47Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2004, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-eat-brie-rind/275757/1 "2004-11-20T00:12:47Z")
If you don’t _like_ brie, a cheese, there’s no point in answering this question, OK?
I really enjoy a nice creamy brie with crackers or crusty bread, and I scarf the rind right along with the rest. I’ve had the cheese in social situations many times, but have never noticed if others also eat the rind. Now I must know; am I being insufferably gauche?
Peace,
mangeorge
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### Author:  [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2004, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-eat-brie-rind/275757/2 "2004-11-20T00:17:44Z")
You are in luck. My wife is one of the foremost cheese experts in the United States (and I mean that seriously. It is her and her family’s profession).
I just ask her and she says that yes, you would usually eat the rind. The only exceptions are when the brie is overripe and the rind is not a nice whitish color or appears to have something wrong with it.
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### Author:  [@JavaMaven1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JavaMaven1)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2004, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-eat-brie-rind/275757/3 "2004-11-20T00:18:03Z")
I am definitely a brie rind eater. It’s a part of the cheese, and I actually get kind of annoyed by people who dig out all the creamy interior and leave nothing but rind behind (like most of my family).
So, I personally think it’s gauche to leave the rind behind in this case.
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### Author:  [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2004, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-eat-brie-rind/275757/4 "2004-11-20T00:23:48Z")
It has to be decent quality cheese. The rind on shrinkwrapped supermarket stuff is akin to Edam. (It does contain a huge amount of fat, though, which is a good excuse for any non-rind-eaters 😛 )
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### Author:  [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2004, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-eat-brie-rind/275757/5 "2004-11-20T00:35:26Z")
I don’t; it tastes and feels like wax.
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### Author:  [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2004, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-eat-brie-rind/275757/6 "2004-11-20T00:44:11Z")
> [@Aesiron](#):
>
> I don’t; it tastes and feels like wax.
I quite agree, sort of.
See post #4, and then stop wasting your money on the cheap stuff.
Ask **Shagnasty** , above, to please advise how to select good brie.
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### Author:  [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2004, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-eat-brie-rind/275757/7 "2004-11-20T01:06:27Z")
I’ve had a wide variety, both low-quality and high, and it all tastes like wax.
Next time, don’t assume you know all the details behind someone’s opinion as I can’t imagine your foot tastes very good and would guess you’d want to keep it out of your mouth as much as possible.
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### Author:  [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2004, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-eat-brie-rind/275757/8 "2004-11-20T01:33:55Z")
> [@Aesiron](#):
>
> I’ve had a wide variety, both low-quality and high, and it all tastes like wax.
But are you comparing it to good-quality wax? 😃
Seriously - expensive or not, you can’t have been gettin good quality stuff if the _texture_ of the rind was waxy. It shouldn’t be like that.
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### Author:  [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2004, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-eat-brie-rind/275757/9 "2004-11-20T01:46:46Z")
The saltiness of the rind is a delicious contrast to the taste of the cheese. Of course eat it.
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### Author:  [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2004, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-eat-brie-rind/275757/10 "2004-11-20T01:52:17Z")
> [@Aesiron](#):
>
> I don’t; it tastes and feels like wax.
Brie! Not Gouda!
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### Author:  [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2004, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-eat-brie-rind/275757/11 "2004-11-20T02:00:52Z")
I love the cheese, but find the rind bitter and nasty. If that makes me a heathen so be it.
Funny story: We were staying with friends who knew that I dislike Brie rind; they had discovered the Alouette spreadable Brie-in-a-tub – no rind! – and bought it just for me. Another person who was staying with them at the same time noticed this abomination on the breakfast table and went on a rant about how stupid and silly it was. The rest of us just kind of shrugged, changed the subject, and laughed about it later. I’m sure she would have been mortified if she’d known that it was there specially for one of her fellow guests. 😛
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### Author:  [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2004, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-eat-brie-rind/275757/12 "2004-11-20T02:06:49Z")
> [@mangeorge](#):
>
> Now I must know; am I being insufferably gauche?
Of course you are! But we love you for it! Perhaps I should run over [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=5517844#post5517844) and adopt you.
How about that? Now **mangeorge** has a Republican pal.
_Yes_! Eat the rind! It’s like the potato skin - part of the whole experience. I want to know how you’ve been dealing with your Oreos, pal.
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### Author:  [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2004, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-eat-brie-rind/275757/13 "2004-11-20T02:45:47Z")
> [@Ringo](#):
>
> Of course you are! But we love you for it! Perhaps I should run over [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=5517844#post5517844) and adopt you.
>
> How about that? Now **mangeorge** has a Republican pal.
>
> _Yes_! Eat the rind! It’s like the potato skin - part of the whole experience. I want to know how you’ve been dealing with your Oreos, pal.
Ok, I subscribed. I’ll check the thread out more thoroughly after I’ve had a good meal. Linguini with clams, I think. And a nice crusty baguette.
Oreos? I take two apart, put the two halves with the most “middle” together and set them aside. I dunk eat the “plain” halves while I proceed with more until I have 5-10 doubles, at which time I can pay attention to a DVD movie and dunk and eat all my doubles.
And yes, I know all about DoubleStuff Oreos. There’s no comparison. 😉
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### Author:  [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2004, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-eat-brie-rind/275757/14 "2004-11-20T02:53:24Z")
I was right…, you’re allright, pal.
I probably should sign this…
Peace,
**beatle**
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### Author:  [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2004, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-eat-brie-rind/275757/15 "2004-11-20T02:55:34Z")
> [@Aesiron](#):
>
> I’ve had a wide variety, both low-quality and high, and it all tastes like wax.
>
> Next time, don’t assume you know all the details behind someone’s opinion as I can’t imagine your foot tastes very good and would guess you’d want to keep it out of your mouth as much as possible.
Assumed? No, I didn’t. I am prone to assumption, but this time I looked at the evidence and made a _decision_ based entirely on fact.
The rind on a good brie has no resemblence, in taste or texture, to wax.
I think **Zebra** nailed it. You’ve confused brie with gouda.
Do _not_ eat the red stuff on gouda. It’s wax.
BTW; back when I _could_ actually put my foot in my mouth, it tasted fine.
😛
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### Author:  [@Joools](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joools)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2004, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-eat-brie-rind/275757/16 "2004-11-20T02:56:19Z")
For the most part I’ll eat the rind, but I have to be careful to do it in moderation. I find that the rind has, I don’t know quite how to describe it, almost _ammonia-y_ taste that’s very unpleasant if I have too much at once. This really only becomes an issue if I’m eating from the same piece as a creamy-part-only person, where there’s a risk that I’ll take a big old hunk of _just_ rind.
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### Author:  [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2004, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-eat-brie-rind/275757/17 "2004-11-20T03:17:21Z")
Here ya go **Joools**. All about [brie](http://sicklesmarket.com/Gourmet%20Club/Items%20Archives/Fromage%20de%20Meaux%20&%20Camembert.htm) _and_ that ammonia-y smell you speak of.
Note that the rind should be velvety.
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### Author:  [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2004, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-eat-brie-rind/275757/18 "2004-11-20T03:50:42Z")
> [@mangeorge](#):
>
> Assumed? No, I didn’t. I am prone to assumption, but this time I looked at the evidence and made a _decision_ based entirely on fact.
> The rind on a good brie has no resemblence, in taste or texture, to wax.
> I think **Zebra** nailed it. You’ve confused brie with gouda.
> Do _not_ eat the red stuff on gouda. It’s wax.
> BTW; back when I _could_ actually put my foot in my mouth, it tasted fine.
> 😛
I am well aware of the differences between gouda and brie considering, aside from swiss, the former’s my favorite variety of cheese. I’ve tasted the rind of brie numerous time and have found it to be waxy in every instance.
You made an assumption. You were wrong.
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### Author:  [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2004, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-eat-brie-rind/275757/19 "2004-11-20T05:56:44Z")
**Aesiron** , the vehenence of your replies piqued my sense of fairness, so I went and re-read your observation and my reply to it. I then went to my fridge and sampled the inexpensive brie within, concentrating on the taste and texture of the still cold rind. Not waxy. So I waited for it to come to room temperature (as is proper) and sampled it again. Tastier, but still no waxy properties at all.
Now, if saying orange juice tastes and feels like leather is a subjective opinion, then so is this one. But I don’t think so. The cover that comes on your second favorite cheese is waxy. The rind on brie surely is not. Papery, maybe.
Anyway, I said nothing insulting in my first reply to you. I fail to see why you’ve went and gotten got your knickers all twisted. It’s really not that important. Which is why I shall henceforth be mum on _this_ subject.
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### Author:  [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2004, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-eat-brie-rind/275757/20 "2004-11-20T06:19:26Z")
I am sorry if my replies to you seemed testy as that wasn’t my intent.
I admit to being annoyed in my initial reply due to what I percieved to be a patronizing tone on your part but I did not mean for my second post to be anything more than a correction on your mistaken assumption.
Cheese is not something I feel very passionate about and I actually find it pretty amusing that we’re having even a partially heated argument over something so mundane. I am by no means a gourmet (I even like spray cheeses on Ritz crackers) but I do know what I like, what I dislike, and am generally able to tell you why and in the case of brie, camerbet, and similar cheeses, I just don’t like the (waxy) taste and texture of their rinds.
Your opinion may, of course, be different and I am certain you’re more knowledgeable about them but I don’t think that lessens my own opinion.
Again, I apologize for any percieved testiness; it was not inentional.
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