When Blue Cheese Is Discovered

Author: Deandre Castro

Author: Deandre Castro

Blue cheese is made from the milk of ewes or cows. The story goes that blue or 'bleu' (as some would have it) cheese was discovered quite by accident in a cave. It had been left there and was found many days later covered with a greenish blue mold. To the amazement of the villagers, it wasn't spoilt. Despite its acrid taste, the cheese was appealing to the taste buds. The idea of actually simulating the conditions and making the cheese was struck upon, and the rest is history.

Scientists explain that the penicillium roqueforti and the penicillium glaucum fungi manifest themselves as blue-green mold spores in cheese that has been left about for a while. Cheese makers have bettered nature and fashioned their own range of blue cheeses by following a variety of methods. Instead of waiting for nature to do its work, manufacturers inject the mold into the cheese, or alternatively introduce the mold into the curds, at the time when the curds are separated from the whey. Many makers of cheese still age the cheeses in caves, from where the idea of this type of cheese originated.

Roquefort is a cheese for emperors. In fact, it was favored by the great Charlemagne himself. The village Roquefort-sur-Soulzon had permission from King Charles VI way back in 1411, to be the sole manufacturers of the blue cheese marketed under the name Roquefort. It is one of the oldest cheese manufacturing centers of the world and a proud upholder of tradition. Although the manufacturers have altered the process by injecting the penicillium roquefort fungus into the cheese, they still age the cheese in limestone caves. The reason for the alteration in the method is to make certain that the mold spreads uniformly in the cheese. The main ingredient is ewe's milk. The cheese has a label bearing the brand of a red sheep. If there's no red sheep icon, you probably haven't got the genuine article.

Stilton is a rich cheese, with a flavor all its own. Strange as it may seem, this cheese is not processed in Stilton, a village in Huntingdonshire, England. It was on sale at the Bell Inn, the local pub in Stilton, hence the name. Made from the milk of local dairies in Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire, this is probably the most popular of blue cheeses in England, and dates back to 1720.

The sharp flavored Gorgonzola is a semi-hard cheese. Maytag and Danablu are other varieties of blue cheese.

Any gourmet will agree that blue cheese is among the world's finest cheeses today. The cheese with blue veins running attractively across it has a distinctly strong and pungent flavor that makes it uniquely different from any other cheese. You have to acquire a taste for blue cheese, it is true, but once you're hooked it'll be the only cheese in the world for you.About the Author:

To read about cheese allergy and cheese storage, visit the Cheese Facts site.

POST COMMENT

Moving To Small Cities Can Eliminate Anxiety And Reduce Stress? 5 Free Tools That Can Help You Get a Head Start in 2010 It's A Dog's Life - What Does That Even Mean? The Top Ten Features of the GBC ShredMaster GDM10 Paper Shredder Ten Reasons to Buy the GBC ShredMaster GDHS7 Paper Shredder Five Reasons to Buy the GBC ShredMaster CC175 Paper Shredder What Happens During An Arm Liposuction? Did You Know That The Rock Underwent Liposuction? What You Need to Know About the GBC ProClick P50 What You Need To Know Before Opting For Surgeries Embroidered Knit Caps For Those Cold Days Important Facts On The 2012 Predictions Makara Sankranti 2010- What does it hold for you?