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AOC — PDO — Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
A fresh goat's cheese steeped in centuries-old Provençal tradition, as white and velvety as a cloud, born in the hills of Le Rove.
Goat’s cheese from Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, PDO (AOP) since 2020.
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The tradition of breeding Rove goats and producing Brousse du Rove has been documented since the Middle Ages in the département of Bouches-du-Rhône, where it formed the main source of income for the inhabitants of the village of Le Rove and was a much-prized speciality in Marseille and its surroundings. The savoir-faire spread in successive stages from this original cradle. For several centuries, the village — set on the arid slopes of the chaîne de l'Estaque, facing the Mediterranean — was home to a large goatherding community, and the brousses made there were sold throughout the region.
After obtaining its Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) in 2018, Brousse du Rove became the 51st French dairy PDO in May 2020, officially recognising this Provençal tradition.
Le Rove is a small commune in Bouches-du-Rhône, nestled between the Mediterranean and the Provençal hinterland. Brousse du Rove is produced across the dry, limestone areas wooded with Kermes oaks in the Bouches-du-Rhône département, the southern tip of Vaucluse, and western Var. In the garrigue, Rove goats feed on rosemary, broom, and oak — a diet that gives the cheese its primary aromas of fresh milk and sweet almond, complemented by variable notes of Kermes oak, rosemary, or broom depending on the period. The Rove goat breed, favoured by the area's breeders for several centuries, is the only French goat breed to have taken the name of its terroir.
The PDO covers 131 communes: 97 in Bouches-du-Rhône, 24 in the southern tip of Vaucluse, and 10 in western Var.
In Provence, brousse is far more than a cheese: it is part of the gastronomic heritage and an expression of local identity. Served sweet — with jam, orange blossom, or olive oil in its savoury version — it is traditionally enjoyed at breakfast or for dessert. This sweet/savoury duality makes it versatile and timeless on Provençal tables.
Appearance
Glossy, rindless cheese, pure white to very pale cream-white. The paste contains no salt.
Aroma
Primary aromas of fresh milk and sweet almond, with complementary notes varying according to the day's forage and the lactation period (Kermes oak, rosemary, broom).
Taste
Mild, rather neutral flavour that allows the secondary aromas linked to the garrigue to come through. No bitterness.
Texture
Smooth, slightly glossy paste with a supple, velvety, non-grainy consistency.
Brousse du Rove PDO exists in a single form: plain fresh cheese, with no variation recognised by the appellation's product specifications.
The milk is heated gradually over a direct flame to a temperature between 85 and 95 °C.
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Serving: Enjoy Brousse du Rove well chilled, straight from the refrigerator.
Sweet variations (traditional):
Drinks: Dry white wine or Provençal rosé, or simply with coffee or tea.
Since: 2018
Area covered: Bouches-du-Rhône, southern Vaucluse, western Var (131 communes)
Key requirements: Exclusively whole raw milk from Rove goats; coagulation by flocculation (heating to 85–95 °C + white spirit vinegar, without rennet); moulding in perforated conical cornets; no ageing or freezing; sale ≤ 8 days after acidification
Since: 2020
Area covered: Bouches-du-Rhône, southern Vaucluse, western Var (131 communes)
Key requirements: European registration of the appellation d'origine contrôlée, confirming the requirements of the national specifications.
No producer is listed for this product yet.
