Know Your Double And Triple Créme Cheeses

What Americans call cream cheese is a far-removed descendant of the rich, creamy, fresh and briefly cured cheese known as double and triple crèmes. Originally from France, more recently they also are being produced in parts of Spain, Italy and Denmark. All are exceptionally rich and luscious. 

The cheeses vary in texture from very soft to semi-firm, and range from subtle creaminess to tangy and aggressive in taste. Some are "unripened" with a fresh, delicate tang; those that are cured for about three weeks before coming to market develop a thin, bloomy crust. Other triple and double crèmes are blended with a mixture of herbs and garlic or spices; still others have blue veining. Many are cow's-milk cheeses. While double and triple crèmes vary in flavor and style, they all share a richness and creaminess.

Triple crème cheeses are the result of extra cream being added to the fresh curd used to make soft-ripened cheeses. Triple crème cheeses are required by law to have at least 75 percent butterfat (double-crèmes must contain between 60-74 percent butterfat). Brillat-Savarin, St. André and Explorateur, are the most readily recognized names of triple crème cheeses. However, there are many lesser-known cheeses such as Gratte-Paille and Pierre Robert; goat-cheeses like Can Pujol (also known as Nevat); and Brebrioux, a sheep's milk cheese, that are growing in status.

There is a major fallacy in how people think about triple crèmes. Many believe the softer the cheese, the higher the fat content when, in actuality, harder cheeses have higher fat content.

Leading Double and Triple Crèmes:

BELLÉTOILE: A soft-ripened French triple crème, with no rind, it is easily spreadable. It comes either plain or herb-flavored.

BLUE CASTELLO: Made by Tholstrup, in Denmark, this creamy, Brie-like cow's-milk double crème blue is similar to Saga Blue, produced in the company's Wisconsin factory. The European version is richer and resembles Gorgonzola in taste.

BOURSAULT: Invented in 1953 by Henri Boursault, a soft, triple crème with a thin-crust. This cow's-milk cheese is very creamy, almost like a mixture of Brie and heavy cream. Cured for about three weeks.

BREBRIOUX: A rich sheep's-milk double crème from the Pyrenées.

BRILLAT-SAVARIN: From Normandy, this triple crème is a thick, plump, white disk, with a buttery texture and elasticity. Hot cream is added to the cow's milk to up the fat content to 75 percent. Cured for about three weeks with a thin, bloomy rind, it should be served young.

CAMBOZOLA: A triple crème soft-ripened cheese. Its consistency and taste make it unique. Neither a Brie nor a blue, it is a distinctive hybrid produced by Kaserei Champignon, Bavaria.

CAN PUJOL: A rich double crème goat's-milk cheese from Spain. It is also known as Nevat.

CREMA DANICA: At 72 percent fat, it is a double crème. A rich, mild cow's-milk cheese from Tholstrup of Denmark, it was once a popular dessert cheese, similar to Brie and Camembert.

EXCELSIOR: Similar to Boursin and Boursault, without spices or herbs. It contains 72 percent butterfat. A traditional cow's milk cheese of Normandy, its name was given by Henri Androuët, the famous Parisian cheese monger.

EXPLORATEUR: A modern cheese created in the 1950s by Fromagerie du Petit-Morin and named after the first U.S. satellite, the Explorer. A soft-ripened, cow's-milk triple crème, with a bloomy edible rind similar to Brie. It is buttery and rich in flavor with a smooth texture.

FROMAGE DE MONSIEUR FROMAGE: A small, round, double crème, first made in Normandy about 75 years ago.

GERVAIS: Usually packaged in squares or rectangles, its texture is similar to that of American-type cream cheese, but its flavor is richer and slightly tangy.

GRATTE-PAILLE: A raw cow's-milk double crème from the Ile de France. It is distinctive because the flavors of the earth and pasture predominate. Imported Gratte-Paille is lightly pasteurized but still tastes of the terroir.

MARGOTIN: This French triple-crème is a mixture of cow's and goat's milk, which makes it a less fatty, drier cheese. It is either flavored with herbs or with pepper.

MASCARPONE: A smooth, soft, sweet-tasting triple-crème dairy product from Italy. Made from cow's-milk, it is used like a cheese. Mascarpone is popular in regional dishes of Lombardy. Milky-white in color, it is a thick cream that is easily spread. When fresh, it smells like milk and cream, and often is used in place of butter to enrich or thicken dishes.

PERAILLE OR LOU PERÀC: A rich double-crème sheep's milk cheese made in Corsica.

PIERRE ROBERT: A buttery soft-ripened triple crème enriched with fresh cream. It is made by Robert Rouzaire, one of the best-ripened cheesemakers and affineurs (cheese maturing specialists) in France.

PETIT SUISSE: The first and still one of France's most popular double crèmes.

PROVENCAL: A French triple crème cow's-milk cheese flavored either with herbs and garlic or with pepper.

ST. ANDRÉ: A popular cow's-milk French triple crème that is soft ripened. It is stronger flavored than Brie and tastes like a combination of sour cream and butter.

TARTARE: A fresh, creamy triple crème flavored with herbs and garlic.

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