Brousse de Brebis in plastic tub. kiliweb / Open Food Facts / CC BY-SA 3.0
Brousse de Brebis is a fresh soft cheese. In thickness, it is like a Greek yoghurt, a spoonable thick cream, or a smooth ricotta. It has a light, fresh, mild aroma and taste, and a short shelf life.
It is an unsalted cheese made from sheep’s milk. The milk is curdled with vinegar. The curd is then beaten, then drained twice, then pressed. Traditionally, it was sold formed into squares or rounds, and wrapped; plastic tub packaging is now very common.
Brousse de Brebis is often used as an ingredient in heated dishes. On its own, it can be eaten as is, with salt or sugar or honey on it, with pepper, or herbs.
The cheese is made in the Provence region of France, particularly Nice and Marseille, and also in Corsica.
Storage Hints
Store Brousse de Brebis up to 4 weeks in the refrigerator.
Language Notes
A Brousse is a term for soft cheese made in Provence, France, made from sheep or goat’s milk. It may be so soft as to be like a cream cheese, or have more texture to it, like a ricotta. The term “brousse” comes the French words “brousse” / “brousser”, which have several meanings to them. Some feel that the meaning that applies to the cheese is the meaning of “beaten”— but then not all brousse cheeses have their curd beaten. Others feel that the meaning that applies is that of “woods, bush, back-woods” alluding to the sheep or goats wandering about in off the beaten track, hard-scrabble patches of land.