This is the best known of the traditional cow'milk cheeses from the Pyrénées. It is named after the village where it is made, in the Couserans region of the Comté de Foix. Legend has it that it was favoured by King Louis VI who went through the area in the XII century. Bethmale is probably the mildest of all cow's milk cheeses of the Pyrénées. The cheese has a semi-hard, uncooked pressed pâte and smells of the cellar. Affinage takes 2 to 3 months during which time the cheese is daily brushed and turned.