Crusty bread, prepare to meet your match. Isigny Ste. Mère Grass Fed Bonhomme Brie is a holiday must-have and a year-round favorite that you’ll only find at Whole Foods Market — when you’re browsing the Cheese department, look for the logo of the smiling Bonhomme (that’s French for a “jolly fellow”).
This delightful cheese comes from the Isigny Ste. Mère dairy cooperative of 570 farmers located in Normandy, France. This coastal region of France is lush, green and covered by sea-salted dew marshland that produces fertile grasses. Normande and Holstein breeds of cow graze on these grasses to produce high-quality butterfat milk with nutrients and minerals.
How It’s Made
The exclusive Whole Foods Market version of Bonhomme Grass Fed Brie is unique because it’s specially formulated to contain 45% butterfat content, which imparts full and complex flavors to the cheese. Bonhomme's traditional slow pasteurization process (including using milk from cows not given growth hormones) allows the cheese to retain more of the flavor enzymes. Brie fans love its rich texture and mushroomy, buttery flavors — and cheesemakers from all over appreciate the unique blend of an authentic French cheese that’s made with grass-fed cow’s milk.
If you take a closer look at the rind of this Brie, you’ll find a Geotrichum and Penicillium Candidum rind. Ivory in color and beautifully imperfect, this type of rind helps the cheese to have stronger grassy, earthy aromas. Leaving us to examine the texture of this cheese, it remains dense and lactic when young, and evolves to silky creamy when fully ripened.
How to Enjoy
When you’re ready to start building your cheese board, remember to remove your Isigny Ste. Mère Bonhomme Brie from the refrigerator about an hour before serving. Like many cheeses, this is best at room temperature. Pair with honey, your favorite fruit preserves, nuts or charcuterie. It’s also a great contender for wrapping in puff pastry, baking and serving as baked Brie en croûte!
Some of Our Favorite Brie Recipes
Prosciutto, Brie and Apricot Rollups
This three-ingredient appetizer brings out the best of each of its components and is perfect for impromptu celebrations.
Brie with Cardamom-Scented Clementine Chutney
These small bites are also great with slices of roasted turkey or ham. You can also substitute satsumas, mandarins (or even canned mandarin oranges) for clementines.
Mushroom and Brie Phyllo Bites
Creamy, rich Brie pairs perfectly with savory herbed mushrooms in these flaky pastry hors d’oeuvres.
