Vieux-Boulogne (also known as Sablé du Boulonnais) is an unpasteurized, unpressed cow's-milk cheese made in the Pas-de-Calaisdépartement around the town of Boulogne-sur-Mer in France. It was developed in 1982 by Antoine Bernard and Philippe Olivier.[1]
This artisanal cheese is square in shape, at around 11 cm (4.3 in) across and 4 cm (1.6 in) high, and weighs up to 500 g (18 oz).[2]: 230 It has a soft, elastic central pâte, surrounded by a moist, red-orange washed rind that is washed in beer during production.[2]: 230 The cheese is pre-salé (pre-salted).
Vieux-Boulogne is famed for its strong smell,[2]: 230 and in November 2004 was found by researchers at Cranfield University to be the "smelliest" of 15 French and British cheeses that they tested.[3] A follow-up test done by the same institution using "electronic nose" sensors in March 2007 reaffirmed Vieux-Boulogne's status as the world's "smelliest" cheese.[4]
