Maroilles / Marolles Cheese vs Roquefort Cheese
Maroilles / Marolles Cheese is a soft paste with small mechanical and fermentation openings cow-milk cheese, while Roquefort Cheese is moist, very creamy and made from sheep milk, originating in France.
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 Is Roquefort Cheese?
Roquefort is a famous blue cheese from the south of France, made from sheep's milk. It is known for its strong, tangy flavor and moist, crumbly texture. The cheese is ripened in the natural Combalou caves of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon, where it develops its characteristic blue veins from the mold Penicillium roqueforti.
What's the Difference Between Maroilles / Marolles Cheese and Roquefort Cheese?
- Milk type: Maroilles / Marolles Cheese (Cow's milk), Roquefort Cheese (sheep's milk)
- Milk treatment: Maroilles / Marolles Cheese (Raw, thermised, or pasteurised), Roquefort Cheese (unpasteurized)
- Texture: Maroilles / Marolles Cheese (Soft paste with small mechanical and fermentation openings), Roquefort Cheese (Moist, very creamy)
- Aging: Maroilles / Marolles Cheese (Minimum of 21 to 35 days, depending on the format), Roquefort Cheese (Minimum of 90 days, average of 5 months)
- Taste: Maroilles / Marolles Cheese (Slightly salty milky taste with acidity and slight bitterness), Roquefort Cheese (Mild to strong)
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Maroilles / Marolles Cheese | Roquefort Cheese | |
|---|---|---|
| Country of Origin | — | France |
| Specific Origin | Thiérache Region, Departments Of Nord And Aisne | Roquefort-Sur-Soulzon, South Of France |
| Milk Type | Cow's milk | Sheep's milk |
| Milk Treatment | Raw, thermised, or pasteurised | Unpasteurized |
| Texture | Soft paste with small mechanical and fermentation openings | Moist, very creamy |
| Rind | Washed rind with a homogeneous red-orange color | — |
| Aging | Minimum of 21 to 35 days, depending on the format | Minimum of 90 days, average of 5 months |
| Taste | Slightly salty milky taste with acidity and slight bitterness | Mild to strong |
Pairing Comparison
What works with each cheese — wines, foods, breads, and more.
| Maroilles / Marolles Cheese | Roquefort Cheese | |
|---|---|---|
| Best Pairings | — | Bordeaux |
| Other Good Pairings | — | Barleywine, Beaujolais, Madeira, Port |
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Where to buy Maroilles / Marolles Cheese and Roquefort Cheese
Maroilles / Marolles Cheese
Roquefort Cheese
Taste Comparison: Does Maroilles / Marolles Cheese Taste Like Roquefort Cheese?
Maroilles / Marolles Cheese reads as slightly salty milky taste with acidity and slight bitterness, while Roquefort Cheese brings mild to strong character. On the nose, Maroilles / Marolles Cheese offers strong smell of cellar, damp brick, undergrowth, slightly ammoniac, contrasted with Roquefort Cheese's sweet. More specifically, Maroilles / Marolles Cheese shows hazelnut, notes of alliums, flavors of curd, while Roquefort Cheese leans toward buttercream smooth to salty and sharp. Aging plays into this as well. Maroilles / Marolles Cheese at minimum of 21 to 35 days, depending on the format develops a different profile than Roquefort Cheese at minimum of 90 days, average of 5 months.
Can You Substitute Maroilles / Marolles Cheese for Roquefort Cheese?
Maroilles / Marolles Cheese can stand in for Roquefort Cheese in many dishes, but the switch will shift the overall character of the recipe. Expect soft paste with small mechanical and fermentation openings bite and body where the recipe calls for moist, very creamy. Flavor-wise, Maroilles / Marolles Cheese reads as slightly salty milky taste with acidity and slight bitterness while Roquefort Cheese brings mild to strong notes.
Which Is Better, Maroilles / Marolles Cheese or Roquefort Cheese?
There's no single winner. It depends on your recipe and the profile you want. If you want a soft paste with small mechanical and fermentation openings cheese, go with Maroilles / Marolles Cheese. For a moist, very creamy profile, Roquefort Cheese is the better fit. Flavor-wise, Maroilles / Marolles Cheese suits recipes that want slightly salty milky taste with acidity and slight bitterness notes, while Roquefort Cheese fits dishes calling for mild to strong.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Maroilles / Marolles Cheese the same as Roquefort Cheese?
No, they're distinct cheeses. Maroilles / Marolles Cheese is made from cow milk; Roquefort Cheese uses sheep. Aging also differs: Maroilles / Marolles Cheese is typically aged minimum of 21 to 35 days, depending on the format, Roquefort Cheese minimum of 90 days, average of 5 months.
Is Maroilles / Marolles Cheese similar to Roquefort Cheese?
Not closely. They use different milk bases and have distinct profiles.
Can I substitute Maroilles / Marolles Cheese for Roquefort Cheese?
You can, but expect a shift in richness and milk character.
Does Maroilles / Marolles Cheese taste like Roquefort Cheese?
Maroilles / Marolles Cheese reads as slightly salty milky taste with acidity and slight bitterness, while Roquefort Cheese is mild to strong. Aromas also diverge. Maroilles / Marolles Cheese leans strong smell of cellar, damp brick, undergrowth, slightly ammoniac, and Roquefort Cheese is closer to sweet.
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.
What is Roquefort Cheese made of?
Roquefort Cheese is made from sheep milk (unpasteurized), using animal rennet. It's typically aged minimum of 90 days, average of 5 months. It originates in France.
Which should I choose, Maroilles / Marolles Cheese or Roquefort Cheese?
It depends on the dish. The texture difference is the biggest practical tell. Maroilles / Marolles Cheese is soft paste with small mechanical and fermentation openings, while Roquefort Cheese is moist, very creamy.
See full profiles: Maroilles / Marolles Cheese and Roquefort Cheese.