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Fermentation Atlas

Cheese from Denmark, Mols

Molbo

Molbo is a Danish ripened cow cheese shaped as a ball, often compared with Edam. Danish rules define it as a firm sliceable cheese with a dry yellowish rind, a limited number of regular pea-sized holes and a fairly mild, lightly sour taste, ripened at least three weeks. Made in 6 steps over 29 days. The longest step, coat and ripen on wooden boards, takes at least 28 days and runs at at least 12 °C. Salt is 18 %.

Key numbers
Main stepat least 28 daysSet[gouda-dossier]Coat and ripen on wooden boards
Temperatureat least 12 °CSet[gouda-dossier][decadt2025]Coat and ripen on wooden boards
Salt18 %Reported[decadt2025]Brine
DocumentedCheese29 daysnone (a named cheese type with a standard in the Danish dairy products order)Family: Washed-curd cheese family (Gouda as template)More washed-curd cheesesMore from Denmark

What makes this one different

Molbo is Denmark's ball-shaped cheese of the Edam kind. In the Danish standard, Samsø is a flat cylinder or block, while Molbo must be a ball, with only a limited number of regular, pea-sized holes.

Milk
Cow milk and other bovine milk products
Composition
At least 20 % fat in dry matter; maximum water set by fat class, for example at most 46 % water at 45 to under 55 % fat in dry matter
Ripening
At least 3 weeks
Shape and rind
Ball, sometimes with two small flat opposite faces; dry, yellowish rind. Sold red-waxed like Edam (Wikipedia)
Paste
Whitish to clear yellowish, firm enough to slice, with a limited number of regular holes about the size of a pea

Recipe

No fixed amounts recordedThe Danish standard sets the shape, composition and minimum ripening, not a recipe; no published make sheet was found.
Cow milk, dairy milk and other milk products of bovine origin[dk-bek2022]
Starter: not published

Total time across the recorded steps: 29 days

Start
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30 °C

What changes: Starter and rennet go into milk at about 30 °C and it sets

Step 1 of 6 · steps of Washed-curd cheese family (Gouda as template)
Set the milk with starter and rennet
Time
35 min
Reported
Temperature
30 °C
Set
Salt
None given
Acidity
Not documented

Output: curd.

Flavour
Not documented
Texture
gel
Colour
white

Microbes at work in this step

the mesophilic starter begins souring the milk

Method

Measured measured in a studySet fixed by a specification or tested recipeReported one source reports itTypical a general value, not sourced for this fermentUnconfirmed not yet checked against a source