Brie de Meaux is a large wheel, 36 to 37 cm across, usually sold in portions, while Camembert de Normandie is a small round about 11 cm across. Both are soft cheeses with a bloomy rind, and how ripe the piece is tells you more about its strength than the name does.
A counter-cut Brie wedge is convenient when you want a particular amount, while a small whole round of either cheese can suit a baked starter.
For a mild cheese board, choose a product described as mild and ready to eat rather than assuming every Brie is gentler than every Camembert.
For baking, match the cheese's shape and weight to the recipe.
In This Article
How Do Brie and Camembert Compare?
The protected French names describe specific cheeses. The wider Brie and Camembert categories include products made elsewhere, so a comparison of two AOP cheeses does not describe everything sold under the shorter names.
| What to compare | Brie | Camembert |
|---|---|---|
| Protected example | Brie de Meaux AOP, made from raw cow's milk. | Camembert de Normandie AOP, made exclusively from raw milk. |
| Protected format | Brie de Meaux is a large flat wheel, 36 to 37 cm across, usually sold in portions. | Camembert de Normandie is a smaller flat round, about 11 cm across. |
| Other shop formats | Wedges and smaller whole rounds are available. Président, for example, sells an 8 oz Brie round in the US. | Check the actual pack's weight and origin rather than applying the AOP description to every product. |
| Buying for flavour | INAO: ripe Brie de Meaux has cream, butter and hazelnut aromas. | INAO: milky and mild when young, more pronounced and fruity as it matures. |
| Baking | A whole Brie round can be baked, including inside pastry. | A whole Camembert can be used in a recipe designed for its size and format. |
Look for the complete protected name if that is the cheese you want. A generic Brie cheese is not automatically Brie de Meaux, and a Camembert label by itself does not establish Camembert de Normandie AOP.
Which tastes stronger?
INAO describes fully ripened Brie de Meaux with cream, butter and hazelnut aromas, sometimes with woodland notes. Its Camembert de Normandie description moves from milky and mild to more pronounced and fruity as maturation progresses.
Read together, the INAO wording points to a well-matured Camembert de Normandie for a pronounced flavour and a young one for a milky, mild taste, with ripe Brie de Meaux on the creamy, nutty side.
If you want something gentle, ask the cheesemonger for a mild piece for the day you plan to serve it. If you prefer a more developed flavour, ask about the specific producer and maturity instead of choosing solely by the colour of the rind.
Président describes its US Brie round as mild and creamy, which is useful information about that product. It is not a tasting result for all Brie, just as a strong Camembert you once tried does not define every Camembert.
Keep the label's date and storage instructions separate from questions about preferred ripeness.
Can you swap them or bake either whole?
For a sandwich or cheese board, you can use either if you like the particular cheese's flavour. On a board, a wedge also lets the counter cut the amount you need, while a sealed small round may be convenient to buy and transport.
Both names appear in baking recipes, and Brie does not have to be a wedge inside pastry. Président's baked-Brie recipe uses a whole 8 oz round wrapped in puff pastry, demonstrating that the round format is available for Brie too.
When substituting in a bake, match the usable weight and shape as closely as possible and use an ovenproof dish.
Bake the cheese in its wooden box, wrapper or plastic tray only when the packaging says it is oven-safe; otherwise unwrap it into the ovenproof dish.
A cut wedge and an intact wheel expose different surfaces once the cheese softens. A recipe written for the piece you have is more useful than assuming both require the same baking time.
How Do You Compare Value, and What About Pregnancy?
Compare the price per 100 g or per ounce, using the same unit for both products. A smaller pack can cost less at the till and still cost more by weight.
The same principle applies to nutrition: compare equal portions of the exact products.
Both cheeses need refrigeration and attention to their use-by and after-opening instructions. Our handling advice for soft cheeses covers serving portions and keeping the remainder chilled.
For pregnancy in the UK, the NHS says both Brie and Camembert must be cooked until steaming hot, whether made with pasteurised or unpasteurised milk.
Choosing Brie for a mild taste does not make it the safer cold option.
If that condition changes what you can serve, use the cheese options for pregnancy appropriate to your country. Otherwise, choose the flavour, amount and format you want to eat rather than treating either cheese as the universal winner.
