Mimolette Slices

Isigny Mimolette is a hard, natural-rind cow’s milk cheese produced in Northern France, celebrated for its vivid orange paste and distinctive rugged exterior. Its name comes from the old French expression mi-mou, mi-mol — meaning “half-soft, half-hard” — a nod to the cheese’s unique texture as it matures. Often referred to as Boule de Lille, after the city of Lille where many renowned affineurs are based, Mimolette has long been associated with the careful ageing traditions of French Flanders.
During maturation, the cheese develops its characteristic cratered rind through the work of microscopic cheese mites, which slowly burrow into the surface over many months. The result is a striking appearance reminiscent of an aged cannonball, while the slow ageing process contributes concentrated notes of toasted nuts, caramel and gentle fruitiness in the paste.
Mimolette dates back to the seventeenth century, when Jean-Baptiste Colbert, finance minister to Louis XIV, restricted imports of foreign goods into France. Deprived of the Dutch cheeses they had grown fond of, cheesemakers in Flanders responded by creating their own version — a uniquely French cheese that has since become one of the region’s most iconic specialties.