Maroilles / 750g / C/P/AnR / Soft washed / Thiérache / 27% fat.
Strong penetrating smell yet surprisingly mild. meaty with hints of bacon taste. (3)
Buy two pieces for a whole cheese!
 
Originally from Thiérache, located near the Belgian border between Hainaut and the Ardennes, the Maroilles owes its name to the ancient Gaul village of Maro Lalo meaning "great clearing".
The monks of the Abbey of Maroilles invented the "Merveille de Maroilles” over a thousand years ago and is as such most probably the very first rindwashed cheese.
 
This is very much my favourite cheese, it is just about right when the rind becomes a bit sandy yet it has something to give at all ages! We, the Ch'tis, love to eat it cooked as a goyère (a savoury quiche served as a hot starter) or  raw for breakfast, a baguette with maroilles dipped in black coffee is a must-try!  It may be used as a base for tasty sauces such as the "Poulet au maroilles", a classic in Northern France estaminets.
Accompany it with a well-structured red wine like Pomerol or, in the Thiérache fashion, beer or country cider.