Best Hauts-de-France Soft Cheese Types
Boulette d'Avesnes is a French cheese made with cow's milk. The cheese is characterized by its conical shape. It is flavored with tarragon, cloves, parsley, and pepper. The rind is traditionally washed with beer and colored with paprika, imparting a reddish hue to the cheese.
The aroma is pungent and stinky, the textures are smooth and creamy, while the flavor is sharp, strong, and peppery. The cheese matures for 2 or 3 months in humid cellars. Originally, Boulette d'Avesnes was made using the leftovers from cheeses which hadn't formed correctly in the molds.
Maroilles is a soft cheese made from cow's milk and produced in four sizes, with a reddish-orange rind. It has been made in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region in France since the 10th century and must mature for at least 35 days. Unlike most other cheeses, it comes in the shape of a square and when it is fully matured, it develops an intense, pungent aroma with a flavor reminiscent of that of smoked bacon.
It has a nutty, mushroomy taste and the texture is soft and oily. As it is a strong cheese (it smells so strong that it has been nickname "old stinker"), pair it with red wine, light beer or a French cider.
THE BEST Maroilles Cheeses
![Maroilles Quart Fauquet](/images/products/c472684d415a47a0bcadabe1caf133d6.jpg?w=234&h=140)
Gris de Lille (also known as Puant de Lille, Vieux Lille, and Puant Macere) is an extremely pungent French cheese produced in the region of Nord-Pas-de-Calais. The cheese is made with cow's milk, and it is washed in brine for three months.
Its texture is semi-soft and slightly elastic, while the flavor is salty and strong. The cheese is produced in square blocks, and the northern miners used to enjoy it while working down in the pit. It is recommended to serve this unique cheese with a glass of strong beer or a cup of black coffee on the side.
Ecume de Wimereux is a traditional cheese produced in Wierre-Effroy in Pas-de-Calais. The cheese is made from raw cow's milk and cream, and it's usually left to age from 3 days to 3 weeks before consumption. Underneath its bloomy rind, the texture is soft, chalky, and creamy.
The flavors are fruity and creamy. The cheese comes in two versions – fresh, from 3 to 7 days of aging, and aged, from 2 to 3 weeks of aging. Although Ecume de Wimereux can be enjoyed throughout the year, the flavors are believed to be the best in spring and autumn.
THE BEST Ecume de Wimereux Cheeses
Domino is a farmhouse French cheese originating from Vendegies-sur-Ecaillon. The cheese is made from raw goat's milk. Underneath its ashy-and-white natural rind, the texture of this brick-shaped cheese is soft, dense, smooth, and melting. The aromas are reminiscent of hazelnuts and hay, while the flavors are sweet, goaty, and fresh, with a nice aftertaste in the mouth.
The flavors will become even stronger if the cheese is left to age further.
Chaud biloute is a traditional cheese originating from the city of Saint-Aubin in the Nord department. The cheese is made from thermized cow’s milk, and it’s sold in a wooden box. After 4 weeks of maturation in cellars, it’s ready for consumption.
Underneath its brine-washed rind, the texture is soft, yielding, supple, and dotted with irregular eyes throughout the paste. The aromas are slightly pungent due to the washed rind, while the flavors are milky and creamy. This cheese is typically placed in the oven for a few minutes until it becomes gooey and runny, and it’s then served as an appetizer with fresh bread or a crusty baguette.
Aumonière de l'Ecaillon is a traditional cheese produced in the city of Vendegies-sur-Ecaillon. The cheese is made from raw goat’s milk, and it’s left to age for at least three weeks before consumption. It’s shaped like a square cobblestone with a hole in the center.
Underneath its natural rind, the texture is soft, dense, smooth, and slightly melting. The aromas are reminiscent of hay and dried fruit, while the flavors are fresh, delicate, and goaty, with a nice aftertaste. When tasting the cheese in restaurants, the central hole is sometimes filled with figs, fruit jams, or a tapenade.
Guerbigny or Coeur de Marie is a French cheese hailing from the eponymous village in Somme. The cheese is made from raw cow's milk. Underneath its sticky washed rind, the texture is soft and smooth. The aromas and flavors are strong.
Guerbigny matures in molds that resemble the shape of a heart. It's recommended to pair it with a glass of Sancerre.
Pair with
Crayeux de Roncq is a traditional cheese hailing from Roncq in the region of Nord-Pas-de-Calais. This semi-soft cheese is made from cow's milk and ages for 2 months. The word crayeux in the name refers to its chalky center. The rind is washed with beer and salt water.
The aromas are distinct, while the flavors are mild, creamy, subtle, and nutty, with a nice, yet unusual aftertaste. Due to the fact that Crayeux de Roncq is produced in limited quantities, it's rarely seen outside the region. It's recommended to pair it with structured red wines such as Graves or Médoc.
Vieux-Boulogne is a French cheese made from raw cow's milk in the Pas-de-Calais region. The cheese was invented by Antoine Bernard and Philippe Olivier in 1982. Its body is soft and elastic, surrounded by a reddish-orange rind that's washed with beer during the production process.
The flavors are earthy, while the aroma is reminiscent of mushrooms and onions. Vieux-Boulogne was judged the smelliest cheese in the world in a research conducted by Cranfield University. This stinker beat 14 other cheeses, including Brie de Meaux, Camembert de Normandie, Munster, and Pont l'Évêque.
Best Hauts-de-France Soft Cheese Producers
Fromagerie Sainte Godeleine - Les Frères Bernard is a family-owned cheese dairy established in 1990, located on the picturesque Côte d’Opale in the Hauts-de-France region of France. With a tradition spanning over three decades, this small yet renowned dairy produces authentic French cheeses using milk sourced from local farms within a 20-kilometer radius.
Their cheeses are crafted using traditional methods, with meticulous attention to every detail in the production process. The assortment includes a wide range of cheeses with diverse flavors and textures, from mild and creamy to more intense and aromatic varieties.
BEST Fromagerie les Frères Bernard Cheeses
Best Hauts-de-France Soft Cheeses
Pavé de Calais is a unique soft cheese with a washed rind, produced by Fromagerie Sainte Godeleine. It is made from pasteurized cow's milk sourced locally and aged for four weeks. During the aging process, the cheese is regularly brushed with salted water, resulting in a moist orange-colored rind.
This distinctive color is achieved using annatto, a natural coloring agent derived from the South American Rocouyer tree. The cheese has a robust flavor profile with earthy and cellar-like aromas, balanced by a creamy, mild interior. A perfect pairing with country bread, Pavé de Calais showcases the craftsmanship and traditional methods of the Côte d’Opale region.
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