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Champagne-Ardenne
Square, brown, and Ardennais right down to its name: France's lightest cheese retains a staunch character inherited from its farmhouse forebears.
Washed-rind cheese from Champagne-Ardenne.
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Rocroi is a cow's milk cheese born on the Plateau de Rocroi, in the Ardennes, and its existence is documented as far back as the 18th century. It belongs to the washed-rind soft cheese family: it is often described as a cousin of Maroilles, with a strong, distinctive flavour yet remarkable finesse.
During the interwar years, farms would dry it above the kitchen range: it provided supplementary income, though farmers did not mature it to completion.
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It was merchants from Charleville-Mézières who bought these young cheeses to mature them in cellars before reselling them in town. In the 1950s, farmers began delivering all their milk to the cooperative; the cheese nearly vanished, with only a single farmer continuing to produce it.
In 2008, Stéphanie Morin from the ferme de la Harnoterie in Beaumont-en-Argonne revived it: she produces 200 a week, and other producers have followed in her footsteps.
Today, the cheese has its own brotherhood, the Confrérie du fromage et de la bière de Rocroi, which grew out of a gathering of friends in February 2017 to champion local beer and "the famous Rocroi cheese". Legend has it that the 1643 victory was celebrated over drinks at an innkeeper's whose beer and cheese were particularly appreciated — a tale that the article recounting it presents as a legend, without historical sources.
Appearance
Soft paste beneath a brown washed rind, square in shape, roughly 12 cm across by 2.5 cm thick, weighing 180 to 200 g; round versions are also found.
Aroma
Pronounced: its Ardennes nickname, "pue de la doye", translates to "stinks of feet".
Taste
Strong, distinctive flavour, yet with great finesse.
Texture
Soft paste.
The curd coagulates for half a day to a full day.
It is sliced, moulded, turned, and salted after draining.
The rind dries under ventilation for a few days.
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Low in fat because it is made from skimmed milk, Rocroi reveals a square cross-section when sliced, brown rind included. In Rocroi itself, it is gladly enjoyed with beer: capturing the very spirit of the brotherhood dedicated to it.
No producer is listed for this product yet.