CHARACTERISTICS

Fleur du Maquis is an unusual ewes milk cheese from the French Mediterranean island of Corsica – you can taste the mountainous coastal grass that the sheep graze on in every mouthful. The pale ivory paste of Fleur du Maquis is coated with a mixture of local dried herbs and changes from fresh and creamy when young, to a moist but firm cheese as its ages and as the seasons change. As it matures the herb coated rind grows a grey, slightly mouldy crust.

A little history

Fleur du Maquis translates as “flower of the Maquis”. Maquis is a French term for thickets of rough underbrush that grow throughout the Corsican countryside. This cheese is made to a traditional recipe that has survived from the first millennium. The handmade cheese is drained for 2-3 days, salted and covered with wild herbs such as rosemary, thyme and savoury picked from the local marquis.

Fleur du Maquis is sometimes known as Brin d’Amour, meaning “bit of love”.

Goes well with

Earthy, punchy red wines, Gin

Similar cheeses

Brin d’Amour