Fleur du Maquis
Fleur du Maquis, also sold as Brin d'amour, is a Corsican raw sheep's milk cheese created in the 1950s. Its natural rind is dusted with maquis herbs, which the paste absorbs as it ages.
Key Facts
| Country of Origin | France |
| Specific Origin | Corsica, France |
| Milk Type | Sheep's milk |
| Milk Treatment | Raw |
| Rind | Natural, coated in maquis herbs |
| Texture | Semi-soft, artisan |
| Flavor | Citrusy, mild |
| Aroma | Herbal |
| Colors | White |
| Forms | Rounds of 10 to 12 cm (4 to 4.7 in), 500 to 700 g |
| Age | 1 to 3 months |
| Also Known As | Brin d'amour, petit corse |
What is Fleur du Maquis Cheese?
Fleur du Maquis is one of the names for Brin d'amour, a Corsican cheese made from raw sheep's milk that dates to the 1950s. It also goes by petit corse. The Brin d'Amour trademark belongs to SARL World Impex, a food trading business based in Bessancourt in the Val-d'Oise, and production is subcontracted to the Germain Frères dairy (Corselait) in Furiani, Haute-Corse.
The cheese starts from brocciu. The paste is soft, uncooked and unpressed, and the natural rind is dusted with herbs of the maquis: rosemary, savory, fennel, chili peppers and juniper berries. Aging runs one to three months. Early on the cheese is firm and damp, with a fine, faintly tart paste. As it ages the rind picks up blue-grey flora and the paste hardens and turns grainier.
Wheels measure roughly 10 to 12 cm (4 to 4.7 in) and weigh 500 to 700 g. The paste is ivory. The herb coating gives the cheese its particular taste, since the paste takes up the flavor of the herbs wrapped around it during aging.
How Does Fleur du Maquis Cheese Compare?
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