Maroilles (AOC 1955, AOP) is the most pungent cheese in France — a square, washed-rind cow's milk cheese from the Thiérache (the border country of the Aisne and Nord departments) whose aroma has been compared to dirty socks, barnyard, and sulphurous brimstone, but whose flavor — once you overcome the olfactory assault — is surprisingly nuanced: rich, creamy, tangy, with notes of earth, mushroom, and a long, complex finish that reveals why this cheese has been made continuously since the 7th century (documented at the Abbey of Maroilles in 962 AD). The production: raw or pasteurized cow's milk is coagulated, cut, moulded into 13×13cm squares (the distinctive shape), and pressed lightly. After demoulding, the cheese is washed every 2-3 days for 5-7 weeks with brine (and sometimes beer or annatto-tinted water), which encourages the development of Brevibacterium linens — the bacterium responsible for both the orange-red rind color and the legendary stench. The washing prevents mould growth, promotes the brevibacterium, and produces the slick, sticky, orange rind that is Maroilles' visual signature. The AOC specifies four sizes: the full Maroilles (720g), Sorbais (540g), Mignon (360g), and Quart (180g). In the kitchen, Maroilles' power makes it a cooking cheese par excellence: it enriches the flamiche au Maroilles (a quiche-like tart that is Picardy's most famous dish), flavors gratins and sauces, and is the secret ingredient in the goyère (a Maroilles-enriched brioche from Valenciennes). The canonical pairing is with strong beer (a Ch'ti Ambrée or a Trappist ale) — not wine, which the cheese overwhelms.
Square washed-rind, 13×13cm. Brevibacterium linens creates orange rind and pungent aroma. Washed every 2-3 days for 5-7 weeks with brine. Four sizes: Maroilles (720g) to Quart (180g). Most pungent French cheese. Flavor: rich, creamy, tangy, earthy (belies the aggressive aroma). Cooking cheese: flamiche, gratins, goyère. Pair with strong beer, not wine. Documented since 962 AD.
For flamiche au Maroilles: line a tart tin with pâte brisée, spread with 200g Maroilles (rind removed, sliced thin), pour over a custard of 3 eggs beaten with 200ml crème fraîche, bake at 200°C for 25-30 minutes — the result is one of the Nord's great dishes. For the goyère: fold 150g diced Maroilles into brioche dough before the final rise, bake until golden — the cheese melts into pockets of intense, pungent richness. Start with the Quart size (180g) if Maroilles is new to you — it's less intimidating. Visit the Maroilles village during the cheese fair (October) for the full olfactory experience.
Judging by smell alone (the aroma is much more aggressive than the flavor — taste before rejecting). Pairing with wine (even robust reds are overwhelmed — use beer: abbey-style, Trappist, or bière de garde). Serving too cold (2 hours at room temperature for the paste to soften and the flavor to develop). Removing the rind (it's edible and carries much of the flavor complexity). Over-using in cooking (Maroilles is powerful — 150g flavors a full flamiche). Confusing with Munster (both washed-rind, but different regions, different character).
Fromages du Nord — Patrick Rambourg; AOC Maroilles Cahier des Charges