We were eating brie cheese last night, and someone asked if the rind was edible.
I was tempted to say "yes, it's not plastic". But then I realized that while it doesn't look like plastic or wax, I really have no idea what it's made of.
Is it chemical? Is it organic? Maybe fungus or bacteria? In that case, what kind (and would eating too much of it be unhealthy)?
I've seen the question Are you supposed to eat the rind of Brie cheese?, but none of the answers mention what the rind is made of.
The rind of Brie is Penicillium Camemberti it's a completely harmless fungus which gives brie its taste. You can eat it, or not, up to you: you are supposed to.
If it smells very strongly of ammonia the cheese is just a bit too ripe but it won't do you any harm.
The rind of Brie cheese, as well as other soft cheeses like Camambert, Boursault, etc, are generally edible. There may be some types that aren't, but I haven't seen them. The rinds are simply dried, hardened outer layers of cheese that have come in contact with mould. So eat away.
Not sprayed with the penicillium, that is added in the milk mixture. The curds are put into molds to form the round shape, then the rounds of cheese is brined, that is when thesalt comes in. The rounds are then placed on racks in climate controlled rooms, and are flipped a couple of times. The rind is a friendly mould that forms naturally, and is very safe and tastey.
Brie and Camembert are known as "white mold cheeses", and yes eating the rind will do you no harm, and is actually believed to be helpful for your immune system. Enjoy!
