Mimolette is a cheese traditionally produced around the city of

Lille Lille ( , ; nl, Rijsel ; pcd, Lile; vls, Rysel) is a city in the northern part of France, in French Flanders. On the river Deûle, near France's border with Belgium, it is the capital of the Hauts-de-France region, the prefecture of the N ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

. In France it is also known as ''Boule de Lille'' after its city of origin, or ''vieux Hollande'' because it was originally inspired by the Dutch Edam cheese.

Description

Mimolette has a spherical shape and is similar in appearance to a

cantaloupe The cantaloupe, rockmelon (Australia and New Zealand, although cantaloupe is used in some states of Australia), sweet melon, or spanspek (Southern Africa) is a melon that is a variety of the muskmelon species (''Cucumis melo'') from the fami ...

melon. It normally weighs about 2 kg (approximately 4.5 pounds) and is made from cow's milk. Its name comes from the French word ''mi-mou'' (feminine ''mi-molle''), meaning "semi-soft", which refers to the oily texture of this otherwise hard cheese. The bright orange color of the cheese comes from the natural seasoning,

annatto Annatto ( or ) is an orange-red condiment and food coloring derived from the seeds of the achiote tree ('' Bixa orellana''), native to tropical America. It is often used to impart a yellow or orange color to foods, but sometimes also for its f ...

. When used in small amounts, primarily as a food colorant, annatto adds no discernible flavor or aroma. The grey-colored rind of aged Mimolette occurs from cheese mites that are added to the surface of the cheese, which serve to enhance its flavor. Mimolette can be consumed at different stages of aging. When younger, its taste resembles that of

Parmesan Parmesan ( it, Parmigiano Reggiano; ) is an Italian hard, granular cheese produced from cows’ milk and aged at least 12 months. It is named after two of the areas which produce it, the provinces of Parma and Reggio Emilia (''Parmigiano'' ...

. Many appreciate it most when it is "extra-old" (''extra-vieille''). At that point, it can become rather hard to chew, and the flesh takes on a hazelnut-like flavor.

History

It was originally made by the request of

Louis XIV , house = Bourbon , father = Louis XIII , mother = Anne of Austria , birth_date = , birth_place = Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France , death_date = , death_place = Palace of Ver ...

, who – in the context of Jean-Baptiste Colbert's mercantilistic policies – was looking for a native French product to replace the then very popular Edam. To make it distinct from Edam, it was first colored using carrot juice, and later seasoned with

to give it a distinct orange color. The cheese was known to be a favorite of French President Charles de Gaulle.

Health concerns in the U.S.

In 2013, the

Food and Drug Administration The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA or US FDA) is a List of United States federal agencies, federal agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Health and Human Services. The FDA is respon ...

detained about a ton of the cheese, putting further imports to the United States on hold. This was because the

cheese mite Cheese mites (for instance '' Tyrophagus casei'' or other species) are mites that are used to produce such cheeses as ', Cantal and Mimolette. The action of the living mites on the surface of these cheeses contributes to the flavor and gives them ...

s could cause an allergic reaction if consumed in large quantities. The FDA stated that the cheese was above the standard of six mites per cubic inch.

References

{{French cheeses French cheeses Cow's-milk cheeses Mites as food Lille

Description

History

Health concerns in the U.S.

See also

References