Mimolette, a French cheese criticized as "hard and shriveled" by former Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori in a hot fray over Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's threat to dissolve the House of Representatives, is catching on with curious consumers.
Since the spherical cheese got into the news after Mori complained to the media Aug. 6 that he "was given shriveled cheese that is so hard to bite away," public curiosity grew so strong that some food shops ran out of their Mimolette stocks.
At a parley in Koizumi's official residence, during which the cheese, canned beer and salmon was served, Mori pleaded with Koizumi to back away from his threat to call a snap election if the bills to privatize Japan Post failed to pass. Mori is a senior member of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party.