Mimolette Cheese vs Ossolano Cheese
Mimolette Cheese is a smooth, creamy body cow-milk cheese from France, while Ossolano Cheese is firm and springy with small, irregular eyes and made from cow milk.
What Is Mimolette Cheese?
Mimolette is a hard, bright orange cow's milk cheese made around Lille in northern France. It is sold at several ages, from young wheels that taste like Parmesan to extra-old ones with a hazelnut flavor and a grey, mite-worked rind.
What Is Ossolano Cheese?
Ossolano is an Italian PDO cow's milk cheese from the Ossola valley in Piedmont, made year round in small mountain dairies and ripened at least 60 days. It comes as plain Ossolano or as Ossolano d'Alpe, made in summer on pastures above 1,400 m.
What's the Difference Between Mimolette Cheese and Ossolano Cheese?
- Milk treatment: Mimolette Cheese (Pasteurized), Ossolano Cheese (Whole milk from two to four successive milkings)
- Texture: Mimolette Cheese (Smooth, creamy body), Ossolano Cheese (Firm and springy with small, irregular eyes)
- Rind: Mimolette Cheese (Natural), Ossolano Cheese (Smooth, regular, straw yellow, darkens with age)
- Aging: Mimolette Cheese (6 weeks to 24 months), Ossolano Cheese (Minimum 60 days)
- Taste: Mimolette Cheese (Sweet, less acidic, fruity, nutty, caramel), Ossolano Cheese (Harmonious and delicate, becomes more intense with age)
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Mimolette Cheese | Ossolano Cheese | |
|---|---|---|
| Country of Origin | France | — |
| Specific Origin | Flanders Area Of Pas-De-Calais | Ossola Valley, Piedmont Region |
| Milk Type | Cow's milk | Cow's milk |
| Milk Treatment | Pasteurized | Whole milk from two to four successive milkings |
| Texture | Smooth, creamy body | Firm and springy with small, irregular eyes |
| Rind | Natural | Smooth, regular, straw yellow, darkens with age |
| Aging | 6 weeks to 24 months | Minimum 60 days |
| Taste | Sweet, less acidic, fruity, nutty, caramel | Harmonious and delicate, becomes more intense with age |
Taste Comparison: Does Mimolette Cheese Taste Like Ossolano Cheese?
Mimolette Cheese reads as sweet, less acidic, fruity, nutty, caramel, while Ossolano Cheese brings harmonious and delicate, becomes more intense with age character. On the nose, Mimolette Cheese offers butterscotch, contrasted with Ossolano Cheese's delicate but intense, floral notes, hints of nuts. More specifically, Mimolette Cheese shows mature: dense, waxy, hints of butterscotch; young: mild, while Ossolano Cheese leans toward floral notes, hints of nuts, buttery diacetyl taste, ripe and dried fruit, vanilla, dog-roses, alpine flowers, spiciness. Aging plays into this as well. Mimolette Cheese at 6 weeks to 24 months develops a different profile than Ossolano Cheese at minimum 60 days.
Can You Substitute Mimolette Cheese for Ossolano Cheese?
In most recipes, Mimolette Cheese and Ossolano Cheese can be swapped with reasonable results. Both are cow-milk cheeses, so the base character carries over. Expect smooth, creamy body bite and body where the recipe calls for firm and springy with small, irregular eyes. Flavor-wise, Mimolette Cheese reads as sweet, less acidic, fruity, nutty, caramel while Ossolano Cheese brings harmonious and delicate, becomes more intense with age notes.
Which Is Better, Mimolette Cheese or Ossolano Cheese?
There's no single winner. It depends on your recipe and the profile you want. If you want a smooth, creamy body cheese, go with Mimolette Cheese. For a firm and springy with small, irregular eyes profile, Ossolano Cheese is the better fit. Flavor-wise, Mimolette Cheese suits recipes that want sweet, less acidic, fruity, nutty, caramel notes, while Ossolano Cheese fits dishes calling for harmonious and delicate, becomes more intense with age.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is Mimolette Cheese the same as Ossolano Cheese?
No, they're distinct cheeses. Aging also differs: Mimolette Cheese is typically aged 6 weeks to 24 months, Ossolano Cheese minimum 60 days.
Is Mimolette Cheese similar to Ossolano Cheese?
Somewhat. They share a cow-milk base but diverge in texture and flavor.
Can I substitute Mimolette Cheese for Ossolano Cheese?
You can, but expect a shift in bite and mouthfeel.
Does Mimolette Cheese taste like Ossolano Cheese?
Mimolette Cheese reads as sweet, less acidic, fruity, nutty, caramel, while Ossolano Cheese is harmonious and delicate, becomes more intense with age. Aromas also diverge. Mimolette Cheese leans butterscotch, and Ossolano Cheese is closer to delicate but intense, floral notes, hints of nuts.
What is Mimolette Cheese made of?
Mimolette Cheese is made from cow milk (pasteurized). It's typically aged 6 weeks to 24 months. It originates in France.
What is Ossolano Cheese made of?
Ossolano Cheese is made from cow milk (whole milk from two to four successive milkings). It's typically aged minimum 60 days.
Which should I choose, Mimolette Cheese or Ossolano Cheese?
It depends on the dish. The texture difference is the biggest practical tell. Mimolette Cheese is smooth, creamy body, while Ossolano Cheese is firm and springy with small, irregular eyes.