Hauts-de-France · France
Boulette d'Avesnes.
Boulette d'Avesnes hits like a spiced punch—its brick-red coat conceals a soft, yielding paste that floods your palate with bold herbal notes, black pepper bite, and the earthy funk of aged Maroilles. The aroma announces itself unabashedly: barnyard smoke mixed with tarragon and clove. This is a cheese that demands attention, rewarding brave palates with layers of sharp, peppery complexity that linger long after the last bite.
Rate this cheese
Origin
50.1°N · 2.7°E
The story
How it's made.
Why it tastes that way.
Boulette d'Avesnes is made in the Avesnes-sur-Helpe area of northern France near the Belgian border.
It is formed from Maroilles scraps mixed with parsley, tarragon, pepper, cloves, and annatto, giving it a fiery red exterior. Nicknamed 'the devil,' it is one of France's most intensely flavored cheeses.
Production · spec
- Milk
- Cow · pasteurised
- Family
- Washed-rind
- Rind
- washed
- Age
- 1–3 mo
- Intensity
- 5 / 5
- Texture
- soft
Tasting profile
What it tastes like.
These bars are a visual read of Boulette d'Avesnes's flavour and aroma notes, scaled by the cheese's overall intensity — a quick guide, not a lab measurement.
Aroma
Nutrition · per 100 g serving
What's in a wedge.
A 100 g serving — about a finger-thick wedge. Daily values use the FDA 2020 reference of 2,000 kcal. Expect ±5% variation between wheels.
Serve, cut & store
Out of the fridge,
into its prime.
Guidance for washed-rind cheeses — general practice, not a per-wheel measurement.
Rest
Take it out about 1.5–2 h before serving — cold stiffens the fat and locks up the aromas; cool room temperature is when the flavour shows up.
Cut
Slice in wedges with the rind on — or for a very ripe wheel, take off the top and spoon.
Store
Wrap leftovers in cheese paper or wax paper — never cling film, which suffocates the rind — and keep them in the warmest part of the fridge.
Rule of thumb: the softer and riper, the longer it needs. Thick pieces need longer than thin — and don't leave cheese out much past two hours.
Pairings · Caseo curated
What goes with Boulette.
44 pairings across 6 categories.
Wine
Beer & Cider
Where to find it
Cheese counters.
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Substitutes
No Boulette d'Avesnes at the counter?.
These will play a similar role on the board and in the pan.
Take it with you
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