🧀 Mimolette
Also known as: Boule de Lille, Mimolette cheese
French pressed cow's milk cheese, a 2–4 kg sphere with orange paste, defined in a 2007 decree.
Mimolette is a French pressed cheese made from cow's milk. French law reserves the name "Mimolette" (also "mimolette jeune") for a cheese with a semi-hard to hard paste, orange to reddish in colour.
The decree of 27 April 2007 on cheeses and cheese specialities describes the method: the curd grains are washed and heated in the vat, the curd is cut, moulded under pressure and salted in brine. The rind is dry and hard, yellow-orange to light brown, and may show greyish patches or spots.
The standard shape is a sphere about 20 centimetres in diameter with slightly flattened poles, weighing 2 to 4 kilograms. When the cheese is not meant to reach the consumer as it is, it may be made as blocks of at least 2 kilograms.
The decree sets a minimum of 40 per cent fat in dry matter and at least 54 per cent dry matter. Ripening lasts at least six weeks from the date of manufacture. Longer ripening may be stated on the label: "demi-vieille" or "demi-étuvée" after six months, and "vieille" or "étuvée" after twelve months.
Mimolette or Edam, Gouda, Cheddar? Mimolette is a French cheese, while Edam and Gouda are Dutch semi-hard cheeses, and the confusion is common. It is made from cow’s milk by a method of its own: the curd grains are washed and heated in the vat, the curd is cut, moulded under pressure and salted in brine. The paste is semi-hard to hard and orange to reddish, the rind dry and hard, and the cheese is a sphere of 2 to 4 kg. Ripening is at least six weeks, and the label may add demi-vieille or vieille.
Look for “Mimolette” or “mimolette jeune”: French law reserves these names for a semi-hard to hard, orange to reddish cheese. Age is shown by “demi-vieille” or “demi-étuvée” (after six months) and “vieille” or “étuvée” (after twelve months). The cheese is a sphere about 20 cm across with a dry, hard, yellow-orange to light brown rind that may show greyish patches. It is also sold as blocks or wedges at a supermarket cheese counter, a delicatessen or a French food shop.
For comparison, the same decree requires any product sold as cheese to contain at least 23 grams of dry matter per 100 grams.
Facts
| Raw material | Cow's milk |
|---|---|
| Country | France |
How it connects to Cheese
🧀 Mimolette → kind of → 🪨 Hard cheeses → kind of → 🧀 Cheese
Links
- Made from which milk
- 🥛 Cow's milk
- Part of
- 🪨 Hard cheeses, 🇫🇷 French cheeses
- Similar and different
- 🧀 Edam
Frequently asked questions
Is Mimolette a Dutch cheese like Edam or Gouda?
No. It is French, made from cow’s milk by its own method. Edam and Gouda are Dutch semi-hard cheeses, and the confusion is common.
How long does Mimolette ripen?
At least six weeks from the date of manufacture. A longer ripening may be stated on the label.
What do “demi-vieille” and “vieille” on a Mimolette label mean?
“Demi-vieille” or “demi-étuvée” means ripened for six months; “vieille” or “étuvée” means twelve months.
What shape and weight is a Mimolette?
A sphere about 20 centimetres across with slightly flattened poles, weighing 2 to 4 kilograms.
What is “mimolette jeune”?
A name French law reserves, like “Mimolette”, for a semi-hard to hard cheese with orange to reddish paste. It is the young cheese, ripened at least six weeks.
Similar
🧀 Sbrinz · 🧀 Cheshire · 🧀 Shanklish · 🧀 Red Leicester · 🧀 Appenzeller · 🧀 Double Gloucester
ℹ️ Dairy products contain lactose and milk proteins: if you are lactose intolerant or allergic to milk protein, ask a doctor.