Eli ([personal profile] eub) wrote2008-11-09 11:29 pm

cheese mite wonderfulness


The cheese mite memorial of Würchwitz contains samples of Milbenkäse that passersby can eat





I was reading about cheese mites: "Milbenkäse and aged Mimolette. Cheese that is infested with the mites can have a sweet, minty odor and will appear to be covered in a fine gray dust of the mites, their dander and excrement."

But the Milbenkäse article made me wonder if this was a leg-pull. The cheese mite monument? That's either made up, or totally great.

Well, an article from Die Welt (and not from April 1, I checked) confirms the cheese, and confirms the monument:
In the village center Pöschel already had five years ago, a 3.5-ton marble monument in honor of the Latin as "Tyrogliphus Casei" designated Animalcule built.


And everyone agrees that Mimolette's crust is mite-eaten.

[identity profile] eub.livejournal.com 2008-11-10 07:57 am (UTC)(link)
http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/7423847.stm
"Cheese Mites was the first scientific film made for public consumption," Dr Boon says. "These were early days for cinema. The audience was highly attuned to going after exciting new entertainments.

"They enjoyed seeing something rather revolting."

The film was unlikely to have pleased anybody in the dairy industry, but it did have a lasting effect of sales of cheap microscopes, which would often include packets of mites as a test sample.

[personal profile] hattifattener 2008-11-10 08:54 am (UTC)(link)
Cheese mites vs. cheese weasel: who would win?

Also, the scientist in the photo at the top of that BBC article has a natty hat. I'm guessing you don't see so many bowlers in the lab these days.

[identity profile] marzipan-pig.livejournal.com 2008-11-10 09:10 am (UTC)(link)
I don't even know what to do with this.

[identity profile] eub.livejournal.com 2008-11-10 10:06 am (UTC)(link)
Yes!

[identity profile] eub.livejournal.com 2008-11-10 10:07 am (UTC)(link)
http://www.altenburger-hof.de/english/erleben-14.html

Mite Cheese Tour

Living cheese - not from the jungle of Australia, but from Altenburger landings. Completely within your reach, probably the most alive cheese of the world matures. For experts, an absolute delicacy.

Visit the cellars of the Würchwitzer cheese trader. With optimum temperatures, mysterious additions and loose sayings you can watch the "real Würchwitzer mite cheese" in the tire. As you expect, awaits a really tasty range of mite cheese and many interesting facts about the small agile spiders, which are responsible for this deliciousness - But have no fear, as it is generally known, the larger ones "eat" the smaller ones!.

Place: Würchwitz
Appointment: At short notice
Duration: approx. 1.5 - 2 hours.
Price: from 18.00 € per person,
includes bus transfer

[identity profile] mamagotcha.livejournal.com 2008-11-10 02:54 pm (UTC)(link)
I had the good fortune to try Mimolette BEFORE knowing what caused its funky rind. It's good stuff.

[identity profile] bhudson.livejournal.com 2008-11-10 06:14 pm (UTC)(link)
Interesting; it's basically yogurt cheese.

I tend not to eat most rinds: some are grainy, most rinds cover dried-out cheese, and some are wax. I remember some kind of Tomme (de Savoie, I think) that [livejournal.com profile] chamois and I liked that had a strong ammonia scent. We hadn't noticed before, but after sniffing the rind, we could make out the flavour. However, it's not organisms that are keeping me from eating rinds. I've never quite figured out the disgust people have at the thought of *gasp* bacteria and fungus in their food.

I suppose this cheese is some variant of not exactly vegetarian. Luckily, I don't care.
Edited 2008-11-10 19:18 (UTC)

[identity profile] eub.livejournal.com 2008-11-11 07:23 am (UTC)(link)
As creatures get larger people do seem to get more grossed out at the idea of eating them live.

only remotely on topic

[identity profile] brokengoose.livejournal.com 2008-11-11 08:46 pm (UTC)(link)
German supermarket cashier repels robbers with cheese (http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_3082138.html?menu=)
"She hit one of them smack in the face with a very ripe gorgonzola which must have been like getting a dose of natural CS gas," said one shopper.