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Cheese from France, Thiérache

Maroilles PDOMaroilles

Cow milk is soured with mostly mesophilic cultures, set with calf rennet at 32–38 °C, cut into cubes and drained in square moulds for at least 16 hours. After salting the cheeses rest and grow yeasts for two days, then ripen in humid brick cellars for at least 35 days, brushed or washed with salt water until the rind turns red-orange.

Recipe

Amounts from a sourceThe specification fixes the rennet dose and the steps, not a full recipe. Colouring agents are banned.
Cow milkRaw, thermised or pasteurised; skimming is allowed, but the protein may not be adjusted[mar-cdc-2016]
Lactic culturesMostly mesophilic; added within 72 h of the oldest milking[mar-cdc-2016]
Calf rennet18–30 mL per 100 L of milkFor rennet with 520 mg chymosin per litre[mar-cdc-2016]
SaltDry salt, dry salt then brine, or brine alone[mar-cdc-2016]
Washing brine30 g salt per litreBrine used to wash the rind in one study, with red-smear cultures[karamoko2024]
Startermostly mesophilic lactic cultures; ripening flora may be added to the milk

Total time across the recorded steps: 38 days

Start
Drag the bar or press Play
shapes, not to countLactic acid bacteria32–38 °CpH 6.4–6.7

What changes: Cultures sour the milk a little, then calf rennet sets it

Step 1 of 5
Ripen the milk with cultures and add calf rennet
Time
Not documented
Temperature
32–38 °C
Set
Salt
None given
Acidity
pH 6.4–6.7
Set
Which microbes the steps name, step by step
Lactic acid bacteria
Yeasts
Geotrichum
Kluyveromyces

Output: coagulum.

Flavour
Not documented
Texture
soft gel
Colour
white

Microbes at work in this step

mesophilic lactic bacteria sour the milk before it sets

Method

Measured measured in a studySet fixed by a specification or tested recipeReported one source reports itTypical a general value, not sourced for this fermentUnconfirmed not yet checked against a source

At a glance

Cow milk is soured with mostly mesophilic cultures, set with calf rennet at 32–38 °C, cut into cubes and drained in square moulds for at least 16 hours. After salting the cheeses rest and grow yeasts for two days, then ripen in humid brick cellars for at least 35 days, brushed or washed with salt water until the rind turns red-orange. Made in 5 steps over 38 days. The longest step, ripen in humid brick cellars, brushed or washed, takes at least 35 days (Ministère de l'agriculture 2015) and runs at 9–16 °C (Ministère de l'agriculture 2015). Mesophilic lactic acid bacteria and Brevibacterium linens do most of the fermenting.

Key numbers
Main stepat least 35 daysSet[mar-cdc-2016]Ripen in humid brick cellars, brushed or washed
Temperature9–16 °CSet[mar-cdc-2016]Ripen in humid brick cellars, brushed or washed
AciditypH 5–6.9Measured[karamoko2024]Ripen in humid brick cellars, brushed or washed

What makes this one different

Maroilles is square because its moulds were made from local hardwood that does not bend. Its curd is cut into cubes and partly drained, and removing milk sugar from it is banned. After salting it is given at least two days to grow yeasts, and then brushed or washed in humid brick cellars.

Milk
Cow milk only; raw, thermised or pasteurised
Ripening
At least 35 days from renneting (Maroilles); 28 days for Sorbais and Mignon, 21 for Quart
Size
PDO rules: 12.5–13 cm square moulds, at least 360 g of dry matter per cheese; at least 45 % fat in dry matter and 50 % dry matter

Related ferments

Variants

  • Sorbais12–12.5 cm square; at least 28 days.
  • Mignon11–11.5 cm square; at least 28 days.
  • Quart8–8.5 cm square; at least 21 days.

Safety

The specification allows raw, thermised or pasteurised cow milk, bans frozen storage of curd and fresh cheese, bans storage in modified atmosphere, and sets cellars at 9–16 °C and at least 90 % humidity. In a study of five artisanal cheeses the surface pH was 5.63–6.90 and the core pH 4.96–6.25 [mar-cdc-2016, karamoko2024]. Raw-milk cheese can carry Listeria and other germs, and CDC names pregnant women, adults over 65, children under 5 and people with weak immune systems as at higher risk of serious illness [cdc-raw-milk].

History and sources

Every number is labelled with how it is known. How this atlas is made

The specification ties the cheese to the Benedictine abbey of Saint-Humbert at Maroilles, founded in the 7th century; a medieval text sets what four nearby villages owed the abbey in grazing and cheese deliveries. The name appears as "Marolles" in Savary des Brûlons' trade dictionary of 1723, and it became an appellation by decree on 24 May 1976 [mar-cdc-2016].

  1. [mar-cdc-2016] Ministère de l'agriculture, Avis relatif à l'approbation par la Commission européenne de la modification du cahier des charges de l'AOP « Maroilles » ou « Marolles » et cahier des charges correspondant (homologated by décret n° 2015-1032 of 19 August 2015, associated with Regulation (EU) 2016/1874), Bulletin officiel of 27 October 2016 (BO-Agri)spec
  2. [karamoko2024] Karamoko G., Karoui R. 2024, Physicochemical, rheology, and mid-infrared spectroscopy techniques for the characterization of artisanal and industrial Maroilles cheeses, Foods 13:3086, doi:10.3390/foods13193086paper
  3. [eu-2016-1874] Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2016/1874 of 19 October 2016 approving non-minor amendments to the specification for Maroilles/Marolles (PDO), OJ L 288spec
  4. [cdc-raw-milk] CDC, Raw Milk, Food Safety (page of 31 January 2025; raw milk and products made from it can carry Campylobacter, Cryptosporidium, E. coli, Listeria, Brucella and Salmonella)gov