Mimolette is sometimes known as France's Edam – when your country has banned the import of foreign goods and you can't get your favourite cheese, then why not make a substitute? That's said to be the case with buttery and nutty Mimolette with its fruity aroma and hints of butterscotch, created in the northern French city of Lille in the 17th century. Whatever the origin story, it's plain that Mimolette was influenced by its Dutch near neighbours, with its football shape (giving it the alternative name of Boule de Lille), firm and oily texture, and bright orange paste from the natural food colourant annatto. The name comes from the French mi-mou meaning semi-soft, though Mimolette can get pretty hard as it matures, with a pronounced nutty taste and intense flavour. We do the six months matured age profile demi-vielle (half old) – at 12 months it's known as vielle en étuvée (old) and at two years très vielle (very old), when the orange turns a darker brown. What makes it unusual is the addition of tiny cheese mites, Acarus siro, which are allowed to infest the surface as it matures in damp cellars. There they munch away, creating the pitted rind and leaving behind a cocktail of aromatics that give Mimolette its distinctive flavour. Take a look at it on the counter and you can see the fine dust kicked out by these wee mites working away! Our Mimolette is made with pasteurised milk in coastal Normandy and it's traditionally enjoyed with a cold beer.
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