A guide to Maroilles — the pungent square washed-rind cheese of northern France. Its monastic origins, bold flavor, and classic uses.
Maroilles is one of France's great pungent cheeses — a square, washed-rind cheese from the north with a powerful aroma and a deep, savory flavor. Born in a medieval abbey and beloved across northern France, it's a bold, characterful cheese that rewards the adventurous.
What Maroilles Is
Maroilles is a Protected Designation of Origin (AOP) soft, washed-rind cow's-milk cheese from the Thiérache region, straddling the Nord and Aisne departments of northern France. It's one of France's oldest cheeses, said to have been created by monks at the Abbey of Maroilles over a thousand years ago. It's made in a distinctive square shape with a glossy orange-red rind and a soft, supple interior.
A Monastic Heritage
Maroilles traces its origins to the Abbey of Maroilles, where monks are credited with developing the cheese around the 10th century. Like many monastery cheeses, it became an important local product, and its reputation spread over the centuries. This long monastic heritage places Maroilles among the venerable washed-rind cheeses of France, with a history stretching back over a millennium.
The Washed Rind
Maroilles gets its pungency from its washed rind. During aging, the rind is regularly washed with brine, encouraging the bacteria (including Brevibacterium linens) that develop its glossy orange-red crust and powerful aroma. This rind washing gives Maroilles its strong, savory smell and its deep flavor. Like other washed-rind cheeses, its aroma is considerably more intense than its taste.
Flavor and Texture
Beneath the rind, Maroilles has a soft, supple, creamy paste, pale yellow, that grows more yielding as it ripens. The flavor is rich, savory, and tangy, with a robust, meaty depth and earthy, slightly pungent notes — bold and full but more rounded on the palate than its formidable aroma suggests. It's a powerful cheese that lovers of strong, savory flavors adore.
How to Use Maroilles
Maroilles is a cheese-board choice for the adventurous, served at room temperature with crusty bread and a robust drink. In its home region, it's the heart of the tarte au Maroilles, a savory tart where the melted cheese tops a bread-like base — a beloved northern French dish. It also melts into hearty sauces and gratins. Keep it well wrapped to protect the rest of your fridge.
Pairings
Maroilles pairs with the robust beers of northern France and Belgium, which stand up to its pungency, as well as with full-bodied red wines. On the plate, crusty bread and hearty accompaniments suit its bold, savory character. The regional beer pairing is especially traditional.
Buying and Storing
Maroilles is sold in its characteristic square, sometimes in smaller formats. Choose a piece that's supple and aromatic but not overly ammoniated. Keep it tightly wrapped, ideally in a container, in the fridge, and bring it to room temperature before serving. Eat it within its prime window.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Maroilles smell so strong?
Its rind is repeatedly washed with brine during aging, encouraging bacteria that create its glossy orange-red crust and powerful aroma.
Does Maroilles taste as strong as it smells?
It's a genuinely bold cheese, but as with other washed-rind cheeses, the flavor is more rounded and savory than the intense aroma suggests.
What is tarte au Maroilles?
A savory tart from northern France in which melted Maroilles tops a bread-like base — a classic regional dish.