Bethmale

1. History

Bethmale, also known as oustet, is an ancient cheese from the Bethmale valley in the Ariège Pyrenees. Legend has it that it was served to King Louis VI the Fat in the 12th century during his visit to Saint-Girons, with traces dating back to the 14th century linked to the Moorish invasion. Its production expanded in the 19th century with the establishment of fruitières and dairies in the Couserans region.

2. Physical characteristics

Bethmale is a disc-shaped cheese with a convex heel, weighing about 5 kg, featuring an orange to pink rind from daily rubbing with morge or brine. Its uncooked pressed paste is ivory to straw-yellow, with a supple and creamy texture after 3 to 10 months of aging on spruce boards. Made daily from raw milk of morning and evening milkings, it measures around 30 cm in diameter and 6 cm thick.

3. Taste profile

Bethmale delivers a rich, typified flavor with nutty, hay-like aromas and a mild lactic acidity. Farm versions have a more pronounced taste, evolving to fruity and buttery notes with aging. The washed rind adds a salty, umami touch that balances the melting paste's sweetness.

4. Production zone and period

Originating from Bethmale valley in Ariège (09), this cheese is produced in the Couserans area of the western Ariège Pyrenees, including Saint-Girons, Luzenac, and Boussenac. Traditionally made in winter when cows are stabled, or formerly in summer pastures, it uses milk from local cows. Production is manual and daily, focused on this Pyrenean zone.

5. Certification

Bethmale has no protected designation like AOC, AOP, or IGP, remaining a traditional cheese without official labeling. Its production follows ancestral raw milk methods but lacks a regulated specification. This allows variations, including sheep's milk or mixed milk versions.