Monday, April 7, 2008

Blue Cheese

 One of my favorite things to cook with or to just eat is blue cheese. The endless variety of blue cheeses means that you can always find the perfect one for any application. They may be sharp, mild, dry or crumbly and mostly they're all delicious.
 First of all as you probably know, most blue cheese isn't really blue! It is usually white or pale yellow with blue/green veins running through it. Blue cheese can be made from cow's milk, goat's milk, sheep's milk or any combination of them. It is injected with micro-organisms like penicillium roqueforti, penicillium glaucum or other mold spores which are related to the antibiotic penicillin. Blue cheese mold spores actually may have mild antibiotic properties which prevent pathogens from developing during the cheese making process. 
 The most well known, and therefore probably the easiest to find, blues are Gorgonzola, Roquefort, Stilton and Danish Blue. Each one of these has distinct properties as well as a distinct heritage.
  Young Gorgonzola is very creamy, known as Gorgonzola Dolce (Sweet). Aged Gorgonzola is firmer and crumbly and is known as Gorgonzola Piccante (Spicy) or Mountain Gorgonzola. It is usually made at higher elevations, thus the name Mountain. Mountain Gorgonzola has a more complex flavor profile because the forage that the cows graze on is more diverse than the sweet meadow grass of the lowlands. Gorgonzola is perfect for melting on burgers or blending into a sauce because of it's creamy texture.
 Roquefort is a French blue made from sheep's milk and is widely believed to have been the first blue cheese ever made. It is spicy and creamy and has green veins running through it. It makes a great table cheese but also can be added to salads for a little "Je ne sais quoi". Roquefort was originally made by grating the mold collected from stale bread right into the cheese before aging. The cheese would then be aged in caves, alongside the bread for the next batch. These days the bacteria are cultured in a more controlled environment to achieve consistency.
 The famous English cheese, Stilton, is very firm and anchors my favorite Autumn lunch with local apples and some good crusty bread. Stilton is mild compared to Roquefort or Gorgonzola, and it can be used in any number of ways.
 Danish Blue is perfect for crumbling into salads. It's crumbly texture and salty tang make it a perfect cheese for salad. 
 An American cheese, Maytag Blue has a similar texture to Danish Blue with a flavor a bit closer to Stilton.
 Spanish blue cheeses like Cabrales and Valdeon are also delicious and worth seeking out. Cashel Blue from Ireland is another notable standout.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Chris, there's not much call for Stilton in these parts.