Gouda Cheese vs Maroilles / Marolles Cheese

Gouda Cheese is a solid and springy; smooth when young, firm and crumbly when aged cow-milk cheese from Netherlands, while Maroilles / Marolles Cheese is soft paste with small mechanical and fermentation openings and made from cow milk.

What Is Gouda Cheese?

Gouda is a yellow cow's milk cheese from the Netherlands, named after the city of Gouda in South Holland. It runs from young and elastic to old and hard, picking up a caramel sweetness and small crunchy crystals with age.

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 Gouda Cheese and Maroilles / Marolles Cheese?

• Milk treatment: Gouda Cheese (pasteurized or unpasteurized), Maroilles / Marolles Cheese (Raw, thermised, or pasteurised)
• Texture: Gouda Cheese (solid and springy; smooth when young, firm and crumbly when aged), Maroilles / Marolles Cheese (Soft paste with small mechanical and fermentation openings)
• Rind: Gouda Cheese (Durable), Maroilles / Marolles Cheese (Washed rind with a homogeneous red-orange color)
• Aging: Gouda Cheese (4 weeks to 21 months), Maroilles / Marolles Cheese (Minimum of 21 to 35 days, depending on the format)
• Taste: Gouda Cheese (Sweet to nutty), Maroilles / Marolles Cheese (Slightly salty milky taste with acidity and slight bitterness)

Side-by-Side Comparison

Taste Comparison: Does Gouda Cheese Taste Like Maroilles / Marolles Cheese?

Gouda Cheese reads as sweet to nutty, while Maroilles / Marolles Cheese brings slightly salty milky taste with acidity and slight bitterness character. On the nose, Gouda Cheese offers sour aromatics with a cooked, milky note, contrasted with Maroilles / Marolles Cheese's strong smell of cellar, damp brick, undergrowth, slightly ammoniac. More specifically, Gouda Cheese shows young: mellow, fruity, sweet. aged: nutty, herbaceous, notes of chocolate, brazil nut, butterscotch., while Maroilles / Marolles Cheese leans toward hazelnut, notes of alliums, flavors of curd. Aging plays into this as well. Gouda Cheese at 4 weeks to 21 months develops a different profile than Maroilles / Marolles Cheese at minimum of 21 to 35 days, depending on the format.

Can You Substitute Gouda Cheese for Maroilles / Marolles Cheese?

In most recipes, Gouda Cheese and Maroilles / Marolles Cheese can be swapped with reasonable results. Both are cow-milk cheeses, so the base character carries over. Expect solid and springy; smooth when young, firm and crumbly when aged bite and body where the recipe calls for soft paste with small mechanical and fermentation openings. Flavor-wise, Gouda Cheese reads as sweet to nutty while Maroilles / Marolles Cheese brings slightly salty milky taste with acidity and slight bitterness notes.

Which Is Better, Gouda Cheese or Maroilles / Marolles Cheese?

There's no single winner. It depends on your recipe and the profile you want. If you want a solid and springy; smooth when young, firm and crumbly when aged cheese, go with Gouda Cheese. For a soft paste with small mechanical and fermentation openings profile, Maroilles / Marolles Cheese is the better fit. Flavor-wise, Gouda Cheese suits recipes that want sweet to nutty notes, while Maroilles / Marolles Cheese fits dishes calling for slightly salty milky taste with acidity and slight bitterness.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Gouda Cheese the same as Maroilles / Marolles Cheese?

No, they're distinct cheeses. Aging also differs: Gouda Cheese is typically aged 4 weeks to 21 months, Maroilles / Marolles Cheese minimum of 21 to 35 days, depending on the format.

Is Gouda Cheese similar to Maroilles / Marolles Cheese?

Somewhat. They share a cow-milk base but diverge in texture and flavor.

Can I substitute Gouda Cheese for Maroilles / Marolles Cheese?

You can, but expect a shift in bite and mouthfeel.

Does Gouda Cheese taste like Maroilles / Marolles Cheese?

Gouda Cheese reads as sweet to nutty, while Maroilles / Marolles Cheese is slightly salty milky taste with acidity and slight bitterness. Aromas also diverge. Gouda Cheese leans sour aromatics with a cooked, milky note, and Maroilles / Marolles Cheese is closer to strong smell of cellar, damp brick, undergrowth, slightly ammoniac.

What is Gouda Cheese made of?

Gouda Cheese is made from cow milk (pasteurized or unpasteurized). It's typically aged 4 weeks to 21 months. It originates in Netherlands.

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, Gouda Cheese or Maroilles / Marolles Cheese?

It depends on the dish. The texture difference is the biggest practical tell. Gouda Cheese is solid and springy; smooth when young, firm and crumbly when aged, while Maroilles / Marolles Cheese is soft paste with small mechanical and fermentation openings.