Brousse (la)

Brousse is closely related to Brocciu AOC Corse: it is also made by heating whey, and a small amount of milk can also be added. The term « brousse » means « to mix » or « to beat ». According to the traditional recipe, brousse is energetically beaten as it is heated before being drained.
This is a cheese traditionally manufactured in the South of France (Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, Languedoc-Roussillon, Midi-Pyrénées and Corsica), where it can be called « brousse », « brousso » or « recuite ». Generally made from ewe’s milk, it can also be prepared from goat’s or cow’s milk, by small-scale or dairy producers.
In any case, this is a pasteurized product, as the whey is heated to over 176°F to produce the cheese.

Most often this cheese is sweetened with jam, honey or orange flower water to serve. It is also used in cookery to prepare soufflés, cakes and flaune, a type of cheesecake characteristic of the region.

This fresh cheese is very moist and grainy, and is often sold in a plastic cheese basket in which the brousse drains. This cheese has no rind.

Its texture is more or less soft, moist, crumbly and slightly grainy. Its flavor is fresh and tangy, and its taste is very mild.