Emmental Cheese vs Maroilles / Marolles Cheese
Emmental Cheese is a hard or medium-hard cow-milk cheese from Switzerland, while Maroilles / Marolles Cheese is soft paste with small mechanical and fermentation openings and made from cow milk.
What Is Emmental Cheese?
Emmental is a yellow, medium-hard Swiss cheese from the Emme Valley, known for the natural holes that run through it. The taste is savoury but mild. It is eaten cold in chunks or slices and melted into dishes such as gratins.
What Is Maroilles / Marolles Cheese?
Maroilles, also known as Marolles, is a cheese made exclusively from cow's milk. It originates from the Thiérache region in France, specifically in the departments of Nord and Aisne. The cheese is known for its square shape and washed rind with a homogeneous red-orange color. It has a soft paste with a white to cream color and small mechanical and fermentation openings. Maroilles has a strong aroma reminiscent of cellar, damp brick, and undergrowth, with a slightly ammoniac scent. The flavor is slightly salty and milky, with notes of acidity, bitterness, hazelnut, and alliums. The cheese is matured for a minimum of 21 to 35 days, depending on the format. It is a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) product, ensuring its unique characteristics are tied to its geographical area.
What's the Difference Between Emmental Cheese and Maroilles / Marolles Cheese?
- Texture: Emmental Cheese (Hard or medium-hard), Maroilles / Marolles Cheese (Soft paste with small mechanical and fermentation openings)
- Rind: Emmental Cheese (natural), Maroilles / Marolles Cheese (Washed rind with a homogeneous red-orange color)
- Aging: Emmental Cheese (4 months to over 1 year), Maroilles / Marolles Cheese (Minimum of 21 to 35 days, depending on the format)
- Taste: Emmental Cheese (Nutty, sweet), Maroilles / Marolles Cheese (Slightly salty milky taste with acidity and slight bitterness)
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Emmental Cheese | Maroilles / Marolles Cheese | |
|---|---|---|
| Country of Origin | Switzerland | — |
| Specific Origin | Emmental, Canton Of Bern | Thiérache Region, Departments Of Nord And Aisne |
| Milk Type | Cow's milk | Cow's milk |
| Milk Treatment | Raw | Raw, thermised, or pasteurised |
| Texture | Hard or medium-hard | Soft paste with small mechanical and fermentation openings |
| Rind | Natural | Washed rind with a homogeneous red-orange color |
| Aging | 4 months to over 1 year | Minimum of 21 to 35 days, depending on the format |
| Taste | Nutty, sweet | Slightly salty milky taste with acidity and slight bitterness |
Taste Comparison: Does Emmental Cheese Taste Like Maroilles / Marolles Cheese?
Emmental Cheese reads as nutty, sweet, while Maroilles / Marolles Cheese brings slightly salty milky taste with acidity and slight bitterness character. More specifically, Emmental Cheese shows characterized by its holes ("eyes"), sweet and slightly rubbery, crystalline when aged, while Maroilles / Marolles Cheese leans toward hazelnut, notes of alliums, flavors of curd. Aging plays into this as well. Emmental Cheese at 4 months to over 1 year develops a different profile than Maroilles / Marolles Cheese at minimum of 21 to 35 days, depending on the format.
Can You Substitute Emmental Cheese for Maroilles / Marolles Cheese?
In most recipes, Emmental Cheese and Maroilles / Marolles Cheese can be swapped with reasonable results. Both are cow-milk cheeses, so the base character carries over. Expect hard or medium-hard bite and body where the recipe calls for soft paste with small mechanical and fermentation openings. Flavor-wise, Emmental Cheese reads as nutty, sweet while Maroilles / Marolles Cheese brings slightly salty milky taste with acidity and slight bitterness notes.
Which Is Better, Emmental Cheese or Maroilles / Marolles Cheese?
There's no single winner. It depends on your recipe and the profile you want. If you want a hard or medium-hard cheese, go with Emmental Cheese. For a soft paste with small mechanical and fermentation openings profile, Maroilles / Marolles Cheese is the better fit. Flavor-wise, Emmental Cheese suits recipes that want nutty, sweet notes, while Maroilles / Marolles Cheese fits dishes calling for slightly salty milky taste with acidity and slight bitterness.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is Emmental Cheese the same as Maroilles / Marolles Cheese?
No, they're distinct cheeses. Aging also differs: Emmental Cheese is typically aged 4 months to over 1 year, Maroilles / Marolles Cheese minimum of 21 to 35 days, depending on the format.
Is Emmental Cheese similar to Maroilles / Marolles Cheese?
Somewhat. They share a cow-milk base but diverge in texture and flavor.
Can I substitute Emmental Cheese for Maroilles / Marolles Cheese?
You can, but expect a shift in bite and mouthfeel.
Does Emmental Cheese taste like Maroilles / Marolles Cheese?
Emmental Cheese reads as nutty, sweet, while Maroilles / Marolles Cheese is slightly salty milky taste with acidity and slight bitterness.
What is Emmental Cheese made of?
Emmental Cheese is made from cow milk (raw). It's typically aged 4 months to over 1 year. It originates in Switzerland.
What is Maroilles / Marolles Cheese made of?
Maroilles / Marolles Cheese is made from cow milk (raw, thermised, or pasteurised), using calf whey rennet (vegetable or microbial rennet prohibited) rennet. It's typically aged minimum of 21 to 35 days, depending on the format.
Which should I choose, Emmental Cheese or Maroilles / Marolles Cheese?
It depends on the dish. The texture difference is the biggest practical tell. Emmental Cheese is hard or medium-hard, while Maroilles / Marolles Cheese is soft paste with small mechanical and fermentation openings.