Maroilles / Marolles Cheese vs Tomme Cheese
Maroilles / Marolles Cheese is a soft paste with small mechanical and fermentation openings cow-milk cheese, while Tomme Cheese is creamy, pliable and made from cow, goat, or sheep milk, originating in France and Switzerland.
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 Tomme Cheese?
Tomme is a type of cheese produced in various regions across France, Switzerland, and Canada, typically made from cow's, goat's, or sheep's milk. It has a round shape and a variable texture that can range from dense and firm to creamy and soft, with a flavor that can be mild or pungent depending on age and production specifics.
What's the Difference Between Maroilles / Marolles Cheese and Tomme Cheese?
- Milk type: Maroilles / Marolles Cheese (Cow's milk), Tomme Cheese (cow's, goat's or sheep's milk)
- Milk treatment: Maroilles / Marolles Cheese (Raw, thermised, or pasteurised), Tomme Cheese (pasteurized or unpasteurized)
- Texture: Maroilles / Marolles Cheese (Soft paste with small mechanical and fermentation openings), Tomme Cheese (Creamy, pliable)
- Rind: Maroilles / Marolles Cheese (Washed rind with a homogeneous red-orange color), Tomme Cheese (Grayish natural)
- Taste: Maroilles / Marolles Cheese (Slightly salty milky taste with acidity and slight bitterness), Tomme Cheese (Varied)
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Maroilles / Marolles Cheese | Tomme Cheese | |
|---|---|---|
| Country of Origin | — | France And Switzerland |
| Specific Origin | Thiérache Region, Departments Of Nord And Aisne | France, Switzerland, United States |
| Milk Type | Cow's milk | Cow's, goat's or sheep's milk |
| Milk Treatment | Raw, thermised, or pasteurised | Pasteurized or unpasteurized |
| Texture | Soft paste with small mechanical and fermentation openings | Creamy, pliable |
| Rind | Washed rind with a homogeneous red-orange color | Grayish natural |
| Aging | Minimum of 21 to 35 days, depending on the format | — |
| Taste | Slightly salty milky taste with acidity and slight bitterness | Varied |
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Where to buy Maroilles / Marolles Cheese and Tomme Cheese
Maroilles / Marolles Cheese
Tomme Cheese
Taste Comparison: Does Maroilles / Marolles Cheese Taste Like Tomme Cheese?
Maroilles / Marolles Cheese reads as slightly salty milky taste with acidity and slight bitterness, while Tomme Cheese brings varied character. On the nose, Maroilles / Marolles Cheese offers strong smell of cellar, damp brick, undergrowth, slightly ammoniac, contrasted with Tomme Cheese's milky. More specifically, Maroilles / Marolles Cheese shows hazelnut, notes of alliums, flavors of curd, while Tomme Cheese leans toward no common profile; wide variety depending on milk and aging.
Can You Substitute Maroilles / Marolles Cheese for Tomme Cheese?
Maroilles / Marolles Cheese can stand in for Tomme 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 creamy, pliable. Flavor-wise, Maroilles / Marolles Cheese reads as slightly salty milky taste with acidity and slight bitterness while Tomme Cheese brings varied notes.
Which Is Better, Maroilles / Marolles Cheese or Tomme 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 creamy, pliable profile, Tomme 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 Tomme Cheese fits dishes calling for varied.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Maroilles / Marolles Cheese the same as Tomme Cheese?
No, they're distinct cheeses. Maroilles / Marolles Cheese is made from cow milk; Tomme Cheese uses cow, goat, or sheep.
Is Maroilles / Marolles Cheese similar to Tomme Cheese?
Not closely. They use different milk bases and have distinct profiles.
Can I substitute Maroilles / Marolles Cheese for Tomme Cheese?
You can, but expect a shift in richness and milk character.
Does Maroilles / Marolles Cheese taste like Tomme Cheese?
Maroilles / Marolles Cheese reads as slightly salty milky taste with acidity and slight bitterness, while Tomme Cheese is varied. Aromas also diverge. Maroilles / Marolles Cheese leans strong smell of cellar, damp brick, undergrowth, slightly ammoniac, and Tomme Cheese is closer to milky.
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 Tomme Cheese made of?
Tomme Cheese is made from cow, goat, or sheep milk (pasteurized or unpasteurized). It originates in France and Switzerland.
Which should I choose, Maroilles / Marolles Cheese or Tomme 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 Tomme Cheese is creamy, pliable.
See full profiles: Maroilles / Marolles Cheese and Tomme Cheese.