Not All Created Equal

• One complication in dealing with Brie is that it varies so widely. Most of the small wheels you see at the supermarket are basic, mass-produced cheeses. They won't age in any meaningful way, and their flavors are simple, mild and buttery. Imported and artisanal Bries are generally different, with intensely earthy flavors and aromas. You'll need to handle each type differently, because although they share a name and a similar production method, they're not at all the same cheese.

Premium Brie

• Premium Brie cheeses, whether domestic or imported, are easily identified by eye or nose. They have a darker rind with definite coloration, ranging from an ivory off-white to a dark tan color, or even gray-brown in some cases. A cut wedge of well-ripened Brie will be quite runny. Your cheesemonger should wrap these cheeses for you in cheese paper when you buy them, either the whole wheel or a cut wedge. Place the paper-wrapped cheese in a loose-fitting bag, leaving lots of air to circulate around the cheese so its flavors continue to develop. Double-bag Brie with a strong aroma to prevent its odors from permeating other foods in your refrigerator.

Basic Bries

• Pure-white wheels of unaged Brie are less challenging to work with, because they lack the intense fragrance of a ripened Brie and are also firm and easy to handle. If the Brie is whole and still contained in its original packaging, refrigerate it that way until its best-before date. If it's cut, wrap the wedge in cheese paper and bag it loosely for refrigeration. These uncomplicated cheeses won't invade the rest of your refrigerator with their aroma, but the white mold that creates Brie's characteristic rind and flavor is another story. If your Brie isn't well wrapped, you'll soon find the rest of your cheeses sprouting a similarly white and fuzzy coat.

A Few Pointers

• Don't expect to age your Brie in the refrigerator. Most won't develop in any meaningful way, and your refrigerator is too cold anyway. If it's a good Brie with aging potential, your cheesemonger will have ripened it already in a climate-controlled setting. A ripe Brie will only retain its peak flavor for a few days, so don't buy any more than you'll use in that time. Take it out of the fridge and let it reach room temperature before serving, so its flavors can develop fully. Overripe Brie has a potent smell and flavor of ammonia, so if it has a strong whiff of litter box after warming up, you should throw it out. Leathery, mushroomy and even smoky aromas are fine, and in fact are characteristic of a good Brie.