Brousse Goat's Cheese, A Treasure from Rove

Food

Oh joy! It’s February, and this month, funny little plastic cones containing the celebrated Rove Brousse goat’s cheese will gradually reappear on the region’s market stands…

By Elodie Liénard - Photos DR - February 10, 2012

For dessert, with sugar, as do the true Marseille locals, served with a fruit coulis, honey, or just as is on a slice of good bread, the Rove Brousse will bring happiness to gourmets from now until next October. This cheese, a specialty of the village of Rove – a particularly arid protected zone at the gates of Marseille – has a special place in the hearts of those from the region.

In the 60s, the “broussiers” as they are known, would walk through the streets of Marseille carrying straw baskets containing little individual packets of Brousse.

Today, only the mode of distribution has changed. The little fresh cheeses are still sold in their individual cone-shaped molds (today made of plastic). About 10 farmers produce them, using milk from hardy goats that graze in the region’s arid zone and feed almost exclusively on the fragrant local scrub, the “garrigue.” This gives to the milk, and to the cheese, an exceptional flavor.

What’s more, to earn the appellation “Rove Brousse,” the cheese must be made entirely from unpasteurized goat milk that has spent at least six hours each day in the dry zones of the Bouches du Rhône department. Consumers need to be vigilant! Many “counterfeit” Rove Brousse cheeses exist, generally made from cow’s milk. Pending a Protected Appellation of Origin label which should protect this special cheese, the best thing to do is call the association of Rove Brousse producers, to be sure you know what you’re getting.

These indomitable farmers are fighting to obtain the label to protect their production, as well as this race of goats facing extinction. Let’s hope that they will succeed, as these little goats are very useful! Not only does their milk give a particularly tasty cheese, but they also naturally maintain the scrubland, protecting it from fires.

Discover

André Gouiran (Latest producer to set up in Rove)

17, rue Adrien Isnardon

13640 Le Rove.

Tel. : +33 (0)4 91 09 92 33

Christian Buffa, chef of the Miramar restaurant in Marseille during the annual picnic organized by the Cabro d'Or, a Rove association