French artisan cheese - Maroilles - 750g

Maroilles is French, AOC approved cow’s milk cheese made in the Picardy and Nord-Pas-de-Calais regions of Northern France. Also known as Marolles, the cheese gets its name from the village of Maroilles where it is still produced. It is also said that the cheese has been created in the 10th century by a monk, Maroilles in northern France.

While preparing Maroilles, the industrialized version uses pasteurised milk as opposed to the artisan cheese which is still depends on raw milk. It usually has a square shape with brick-red, smooth, washed and sticky rind. When young, the cheese is called “Maroille Blanc” because the cheese has still not developed the distinctive brick red rind and characteristic flavour.

It is matured from five weeks to four months during which it is regularly washed with salt and water. If eaten young, the cheese is still chalky in the center and has a bitter rind. As it ages and with the washing process, the rind changes its colour from yellow to orange and finally red.

At four months, the ivory pâte is soft and oily. It has a powerful, pungent aroma suggestive of fermenting fruit and the flavour reminds of smoky bacon. Earthy notes of walnuts and mushrooms contrasted by a strong, pungent aroma are very typical of an aged Maroilles. This cheese is produced in various sizes and the content of fat is about 29 per cent.