semisoft cow's-milk cheese that originated in a monastery in Alsace. Though noted for its pungent earthy aroma when ripe, Münster is considerably milder as a young cheese. It is customarily flavoured with wild cumin and formed into disks, approximately 8 inches (20 cm) in diameter and 2 inches (5 cm) thick. The exterior is dyed orange, and the interior attains a rich, creamy gold colour as it ripens. Münster oozes but, in spite of its softness, is never runny. Many countries now make Münster cheese, notably Germany, the Scandinavian countries, and the United States. Most such imitations are quite bland in character and pale in colour. German Münster is closest to the original.