Brie cheese is referred to as a soft-ripened cheese because it gets softer and changes in appearance as it ripens. The bright, snowy white top, referred to as fluery, becomes flecked with reddish brown color as it ages; while the soft white interior continues to soften to the point that it almost oozes. French Brie was declared "King of Cheeses" at Congress of Vienna in 1815. It can be eaten anytime, day or night with bread and fruit (pears).