The following is a French hard cheese that has been aged for 1 year. It is known for its deep orange color and rough rind which both make it resemble a cantaloupe.
Close up of the rind:
By scraping the rind and placing the scrapings, along with a drop of saline, on a glass slide, you see the following:
Identification of these arthropods?
(I hope this doesn't turn anyone off of cheese!)
The cheese mite.
ReplyDeleteAcarus siro
ReplyDeleteI was thinking of this the other day!
ReplyDeleteThe cheese is called Mimolette cheese. Acarus siro mites are used to contribute to the taste and the appearance of the cheese. Mmmm Happy Thanksgiving!
Yug! This is new to me. Wikipedia notes that in April 2013, the Food and Drug Administration blocked imports of mimolette to the United States. It was deemed "unfit for consumption." Is this no longer the case? The mite is Tyrophagus putrescentiae.
ReplyDeletebw in vt
For sure, there are a lot of micro-organisms that would make our world worth the living and taste. From the Penicillium to the lactobacilli and now the cheese mites, all contribute to a savory morsel.
ReplyDeleteOf course there are a few who would not touch such delicacies, and for these there is only a French paraphrase:"Le sot l'y laisse".
Florida Fan
Acarus siro it is.. aka cheese mites.
ReplyDeletePurposely introduced into Mimolette cheese to improve the flavour.
Wan Hafiz
Acarus siro...identification by google..LOL Happy Thanksgiving everyone. Lee
ReplyDeleteACARIUS SIRO
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