Why does brie taste like ammonia

Often times, cheeses that you buy in the supermarket will not be able to breathe like they would in a case at a cheese shop, so it is quite common to pick up a wheel of brie from a grocery store fridge and bring it home to be welcomed by a cloud of ammonia. As with all cheeses, if the Brie is packaged in plastic shrink wrap you must repackage it as soon as you bring it home in something that better facilitates the exchange of gases like wax paper.

The wax paper wrapped Brie should then be placed in a resealable plastic bag or container leaving an opening for air to get in. That mold also gives off metabolic byproducts. When the cheese is wrapped tightly as with plastic wrap , these byproducts can be trapped and concentrated over time, resulting in unfamiliar or even unpleasant smells that can be quite strong when the cheese is first unwrapped.

But, Gurdal says, letting the cheese sit unwrapped at room temperature for 1 hour before serving which you should do, anyway, since the flavors are muted in chilled cheeses should allow those smells to dissipate.

The rind is totally edible and adds texture and flavor to the cheese. Cheese: It smells like sour milk. Another sign that a cheese has gone bad is a smell or taste of spoiled, sour milk. Lay the brie flat against the cutting board.

Use the serrated knife to cut along the edge of the brie to slice off the sides. As you cut, start pulling the sides of the rind away from the brie, bit by bit. Last Updated: 19 days ago — Co-authors : 8 — Users : 9. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Notify me of new posts by email. Home Answers About. Sign in. Forgot your password? Get help. Password recovery. Home English How can you tell if Brie cheese is bad? English General Lifestyle. Read the full answer The mold used to make Brie and Gorgonzola will not hurt you unless you are allergic to mold. Beside this, Is Brie supposed to smell like ammonia?

Do you eat it right after buying it? If so, it still tastes like ammonia then? It is not uncommon for white bloomy cheeses Brie, Camembert, etc. Ammonia is a byproduct of the breakdown of proteins by enzymes in the cheese paste. The ammonia smell generally dissipates after the cheese has aired out for several minutes. Simply unwrap the cheese and hour or so before serving and you'll be fine.

Most white bloomy cheeses taste better at room temperature so airing out on the counter accomplishes both goals.