Usually skimmed goat and cow milk mixed. When finished, the rind is often rubbed with olive oil or blackened with soot. It is eaten both fresh, white and sweet, and aged, when it is yellow, granular and sharp, with a characteristic flavor. Mostly used when three to twelve months old, but kept much longer and grated for seasoning. Widely imitated in America.

Montauban de Bretagne, Fromage de _Brittany, France_

A celebrated cheese of Brittany.

Montavoner _Austria_

Sour and sometimes sweet milk, made tasty with dried herbs of the _Achittea_ family.

Mont Blanc _France_

An Alpine cheese.

Mont Cenis _Southeastern France_ Usually made of all three available milks, cow, goat and sheep; it is semihard and blue-veined like the other Roquefort imitations, Gex and Septmoncel. Primitive methods are still used in the making and sometimes the ripening is done by _penicillium_ introduced in moldy bread. Large rounds, eighteen by six to eight inches, weighing twenty-five pounds.

Mont-des-Cats _French Flanders_

Trappist monk-made Port-Salut.

Montdidier _France_

A fresh cream.

Mont d'or, le, or Mont Dore _Lyonnais, France_

Soft; whole milk; originally goat, now cow; made throughout the Rhone Valley. Fat, golden-yellow and "relished by financiers" according to Victor Meusy. Between Brie and Pont l'Eveque but more delicate than either, though not effeminate. Alpin and Riola are similar. The best is still turned out at Mont d'Or, with runners-up in St. Cyr and St.

Didier.

Montavoner _Austria_

A sour-milker made fragrant with herbs added to the curd.

Monterey _Mexico_

Hard; sharp; perhaps inspired by Montery Jack that's made in California and along the Mexican border.

Monterey Jack _see_ Chapter 4.

Monthery _Seine-et-Oise, France_

Whole or partly skimmed milk; soft in quality and large in size, weighing up to 5-1/2 pounds. Notable only for its patriotic tri-color in ripening, with whitish mold that turns blue and has red spots.

Montpellier _France_

Sheep.

Moravian _Czechoslovakia_

Semihard and sharp.

Morbier _Bresse, France_

In season from November to July.

Mostoffait _France_

A little-known product of Champagne.

Mother's milk

In his book about French varieties, _Les Fromages_, Maurice des...o...b..aux sums up the many exotic milks made into cheese and recounts the story of Paul Bert, who served a cheese "white as snow" that was so delicately appetizing it was partaken of in "religious silence."

All the guests guessed, but none was right. So the host announced it was made of _"lait de femme"_ and an astounded turophile exclaimed, "Then all of us are cannibals."

Mountain _Bavaria_

Soft; yellow; sharp.

Mountain, Azuldoch _see_ Azuldoch.

Mount Hope _U.S.A._

Yellow; mellow; mild and porous California Cheddar.

Mouse or Mouse Trap _U.S.A._

Common name for young, green, cracked, leathery or rubbery low-grade store cheese fit only to bait traps. When it's aged and sharp, however, the same cheese can be bait for caseophiles.

Mozzarella _Italy_

Soft; water-buffalo milk; moistly fresh and unripened; bland, white cooking cheese put up in b.a.l.l.s or big bowl-like cups weighing about a half pound and protected with wax paper. The genuine is made at Cardito, Aversa, Salernitano and in the Mazzoni di Capua. Like Ricotta, this is such a popular cheese all over America that it is imitated widely, and often badly, with a bitter taste.

Mozzarella-Affumicata, also called Scamozza _Italy_

Semisoft; smooth; white; bland; un-salted. Put up in pear shapes of about one pound, with tan rind, from smoking.

Eaten chiefly sliced, but prized, both fresh and smoked, in true Italian one-dish meals such as Lasagne and Pizza.

Mozzarinelli _Italy_

A pet name for a diminutive edition of Mozzarella.

Mrsav _see_ Sir Posny.

Munster _Germany_

German originally, now made from Colmar, Stra.s.sburg and Copenhagen to Milwaukee in all sorts of imitations, both good and bad. Semihard; whole milk; yellow inside, brick-red outside; flavor from mild to strong, depending on age and amount of caraway or anise seed added.

Best in winter season, from November to April.

Munster is a world-wide cla.s.sic that doubles for both German and French. Gerome is a standard French type of it, with a little longer season, beginning in April, and a somewhat different flavor from anise seed. Often, instead of putting the seeds inside, a dish of caraway is served with the cheese for those who like to flavor to taste.