🧀 Mimolette
Also known as: Boule de Lille, Mimolette cheese
A French pressed cow's milk cheese from the north of France with a bright orange paste and a grey rind.
Mimolette is a French pressed cow's milk cheese with a bright orange paste and a rough grey rind. It is traditionally made in the north of France, especially around Lille, which is why it is also called Boule de Lille.
In method and shape Mimolette is close to Dutch Edam. The milk is soured with a starter culture and coagulated with rennet; the curd is not cooked but pressed in moulds and brined. The orange colour comes from annatto, a natural colouring from the seeds of the achiote shrub. The wheel is a slightly flattened ball.
Ripening lasts from a few months to about two years. In France young (jeune), half-aged (demi-vieille), aged (vieille) and extra-aged (extra-vieille) cheeses are distinguished. Young Mimolette is supple and mild; aged cheese becomes hard and brittle, with nutty and caramel notes. Cheese mites live on the rind of aged wheels, making it pitted and contributing to the aroma; makers brush the wheels regularly. Mimolette has no PDO or PGI status; general requirements for cheese are set by Codex standard CXS 283.
Aged Mimolette belongs to the hard cheeses: grate it over pasta and vegetables or break it into thin shards for an aperitif. Beer, cider, port-style wine and fruit go well with it (see Wine and cheese). Young cheese slices easily for sandwiches.
Why it matters to you. Age changes Mimolette's taste and texture, so check the label for jeune or vieille. The pitted rind is not eaten. Keep the cheese in the fridge wrapped in paper.
Facts
| Raw material | Cow's milk, annatto colouring |
|---|---|
| Country | France |
| Region | Northern France (around Lille) |
| Duration | A few months to about two years |
| Taste | From mild to nutty and caramel-like |
What it includes
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
Why is Mimolette orange?
Annatto, a natural colouring from achiote seeds, is added to the milk. It does not noticeably change the taste.
How do young and aged Mimolette differ?
Young (jeune) Mimolette is supple and mild; aged (vieille, extra-vieille) is hard and brittle with nutty, caramel notes.
Is it true that you eat the Mimolette rind?
No. The pitted grey rind, home to cheese mites, is cut away before serving.
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.