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Nord-Pas-de-Calais
A brick-red cone born from Maroilles leftovers — Boulette d'Avesnes wastes nothing and spares no one: herbs, spices and character for a poor man's cheese that became the signature of the Avesnois.
Washed-rind cheese from Nord-Pas-de-Calais.
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The history of Boulette d'Avesnes is an ancient one: as early as 1595, Benedictines from the abbaye de Liessies were already mentioning a similar "fromage de boulette". It was not until 1760 that concrete evidence of it appeared under its current name, in the writings of the abbaye de Maroilles. Originally, this cheese was made domestically from buttermilk — the residual whey from butter making — which farmers mixed before flavouring it with garlic, pepper, tarragon, chervil or cloves. The resulting curd was then shaped by hand into a dome and dried on boards, in the embrasure of a window. Regarded as a poor man's cheese because it came from butter production, Boulette d'Avesnes remained strictly for household consumption.
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The recognition of Maroilles as an AOC in 1955 led to a spectacular increase in its production — and with it, the volume of downgraded cheeses, damaged when turned out of the moulds or failing to conform in colour or size. It was a certain Paul Fauquet who had the idea of using these offcuts and flawed Maroilles, stripped of their rind and blended with fresh Maroilles, rather than buttermilk alone. Boulette d'Avesnes thus became richer and more indulgent. As for its shape, this changed between the two world wars: the original ball — which gave the cheese its name — gave way to a cone, which was easier to store. Today, the town of Avesnes-sur-Helpe is home to the Confrérie de la Boulette d'Avesnes et de la Flamiche au Maroilles, an association founded in 1997 that works to uphold traditional production.
Appearance
A small cone 8 to 10 cm high, weighing 180 to 300 g, with a dense, cream-coloured paste ranging from smooth to grainy, revealing flecks of herbs and specks of spices when cut. Its rind, rolled in paprika or annatto at the end of maturation, takes on a characteristic brick-red hue; a "plain" version, without coating, also exists.
Aroma
Strong and pronounced, with clearly perceptible scents of tarragon.
Taste
A cheese of character, with a sharp, strong taste, a peppery attack, and a spicy, herbal and slightly pungent flavour stemming from the blend of Maroilles, herbs and spices.
Texture
A firm and creamy paste at the start of maturation, becoming more crumbly once aged, which makes it a good spread.
Two versions coexist depending on the degree of maturation. Boulette d'Avesnes blanche is eaten fresh, without ageing or coating, seasoned with tarragon, parsley, cloves or pepper. Boulette d'Avesnes rouge is aged for two to three months in cellars then rolled in paprika or annatto, which give it its characteristic reddish hue.
the mixture is kneaded and shaped by hand into small rounded cones 8 to 10 cm high.
for the red version, two to three months in cellars, during which the boulettes are brushed with salted water or beer.
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Boulette d'Avesnes is best enjoyed in winter, when its power and creaminess come into their own: spread on a rusk to play on contrasting textures, or grilled, the heat softening its character. Reserved for lovers of strong sensations, it pairs with a red or amber ale, or, following regional custom, a glass of genièvre. On the wine side, a full-bodied red such as a Cahors or a Côtes de Toul holds its own against its character.
Boulette d'Avesnes does not benefit from any protected designation (PDO (AOP), AOC, PGI (IGP), TSG (STG) or Label Rouge) or any official specifications: its recipe varies freely from one cheese dairy to another, between farmhouse, dairy and industrial production. Only the Confrérie de la Boulette d'Avesnes et de la Flamiche au Maroilles, an association founded in 1997 in Avesnes-sur-Helpe, works to uphold traditional production.
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