From Mild Blue Cheese to Strong: How to Select the Best Blue Cheese

There's no doubt about it, blue cheese, also known as "bleu cheese" is not for everyone. With its bold, sharp and tangy flavor, this cheese may be an acquired taste for many a discriminating palate. I grew up eating blue cheese, always Roquefort, as it was my grandmother's favorite. Some of my fondest memories as a child were the “cheese and crackers” hour as I described it, however, no doubt she and the grown ups more aptly referred to it as the “wine and cheese” hour, never to begin before 5:00 PM. My Grandma would always set out a wide assortment of cheeses, from the bold for the “older generation” to the mild for the “youngsters” as she commonly referred to us. My cousins and siblings would be digging into the cheddar or the Swiss cheese while I was heaping mounds of Roquefort on the Carr crackers.

As a “youngster” I thought all blue cheese was simply called “Roquefort”. We even had “Roquefort” salad dressing, by golly. It wasn't until my teens that I learned there are a variety of blue cheeses, not all made in France.

I'm relatively certain if my grandmother was to have taught me exactly why this cheese is blue, it would have ended my love affair quite abruptly. Fortunately, she kept that a secret from me, and it was something I came to learn on my own when I was old enough to handle it.

People theorize blue cheese was a serendipitous discovery, and stories abound as to how this coveted food came into being. A particularly popular legend has it that a young shepherd, caring for his abundant sheep in the hills of Roquefort, France, spotted a beautiful maiden far off in the distance while having his lunch. He hastily turned his sheep over to the care of his dog and ran to the closest cave to leave his unattended lunch of bread and ewe's milk curds in a safe, cool place. He ran as quickly as he could to chase after this fair lass. He searched tireless for days, but alas, he count not find her. Exhausted, despondent and starving he returned to his sheep and the caves where he'd placed his lunch. He was taken aback when he saw his bread and cheese had grown quite moldy. However, hunger overtook the shepherd and he ate his old, moldy lunch anyway. He was quite pleasantly surprised by the delicious flavor! And so it's said this was the birth of Roquefort cheese.

Whether you choose to believe this legend or not, blue cheese is ancient. Cheeses were aged in caves, and if just the right conditions existed, certain strains of a mold called Penicillium grew. As is evident by the name, this mold is a cousin to the Penicillin antibiotic we're all familiar with. The cheese is given is characteristic appearance by the streaks of the Penicillium culture. The cultures are injected either into the curds or the well formed cheese and then the “punching” or “needling” process takes place. The Penicillium won't grow properly unless it has proper oxygen, so the cheese is pierced with pins and air is intentionally blown into it, giving it the desirable crumb-like texture.

My list contains blue cheeses that are popular, readily available, and have a degree of variety to please a variety of tastes.

Danish Blue (Danablu)

This cheese was created in the early 20^th century by a Danish cheese maker by the name of Marius Boel. This was an attempt to mimic the ever-popular Roquefort cheese in terms of appearance, flavor, texture and taste.

Danish blue is a semi-soft, creamy cheese made from cow's milk. Compared to the powerful flavor provided by a Roquefort, this is considered a mild blue cheese. It's commonly sold in the shape of a wedge, drum or block. The needling process takes place in the curd phase, and Penicillium Roqueforti is evenly inserted into the deep channels. Traditionally, the cheese is aged in a cave, or another dark, damp environment for 8 to 12 weeks.

Gorgonzola

As the name may suggest, gorgonzola is an Italian cheese, made from either goat's or unskimmed cow's milk, or a combination of the two. There is quite a variety in the texture of gorgonzola, from soft, crumbly to firm. This cheese has been around since the Middle Ages, but it wasn't until the 11^th century that it became infused with Penicillin glaucum and thereby giving itself the distinction of a blue cheese. Gorgonzola is a small Italian city, just outside of Milan. This cheese is now made in the regions of Lombardy and Piedmont, infused with lactic acid bacteria as well as the traditional Penicillin glaucum. Recently, the use of Penicillium Roqueforti has become a widespread practice.

Gorgonzola is made by first warming the milk with the lactic acid bacteria along with the mold spores so that it separates into curds. These curds are then injected further with the mold, channels are created with rods to encourage mold spore germination, and the ideal bluish-green veining effect. This cheese is aged a low temperatures, for various lengths of time (usually between 3 to 4 months), depending upon the desired consistency of the cheese. The longer the cheese is aged, the firmer it will be.

Maytag

Hey, go figure... an American cheese. This cheese gets its name from the farm where it's produced, Maytag Dairy Farms, located just outside of Newton, Iowa. This is the former home headquarters of the infamous Maytag Corporation, the multi-billion dollar appliance corporation. The grandsons of Maytag's founder, began the production of the cheese in 1941. Like the lofty goal of many, the desired result was to make a cheese that was similar to the almighty Roquefort. The Maytag cheese creation process was discovered and patented by two Iowa State University microbiologists.

The process begins by separating the cream from the milk, homogenizing it, and adding it back to the original milk that's been skimmed. Precise temperatures are used for this delicate process. The milk is then ripened for a time before the rennet is added. Rennet are enzymes that coagulate milk, that is, separates the curds from the whey. Rennet is added to the milk and the resulting product is heated. Penicillium is added to the final product, the rounds of cheese are hand made, and off the cheese goes to age in highly specialized and controlled caves that are cool with high humidity. To this day, they only use fresh Iowa farm milk.

Stilton

Stilton is an English cheese, sometimes referred to as the “King of Cheeses”, although I'm sure some of the other blue cheeses on my list would beg to differ! Stilton has a protected origin designation, meaning any cheese labeled as Stilton must meet a particular set of standards. All protected origin cheeses are monitored by independent government agencies that perform random quality checks. To be a Stilton cheese means it must be made in Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire, or Derbyshire in England, where only seven dairies are licensed to make the cheese. Pretty hoity toity, huh?

Stilton is always cylindrically-shaped, never pressed, has its own unique crust, and the blue veins radiate out from the center in a very distinctive pattern. Stilton is made from pasteurized milk mixed with rennet and, of course, Penicillium roqueforti for the mold. Curds form in huge vats, which are removed and set out to properly drain overnight. After this draining process, the curds are further cut to drain out any remaining whey, salted and put in their cylindrical molds. The molds are never pressed, but rather rotated regularly as the cheese ripens. This results in a loose texture for optimal mold culture germination. The blue veins are created by piercing the cheese with stainless steel needles all the way to the core. The whole process takes approximately 9 weeks.

Roquefort

How do you govern a nation that has 246 varieties of cheese? `~Charles de Gaulle

Of course, the number of French cheeses has grown significantly since Charles de Gaulle's infamous quote!

Finally we've arrived at the almighty, revered Roquefort. Like Stilton, it has a protected designation of origin. All Roquefort is made from the milk of the Lacaune, Manech and Basco Bearnaise sheep. Only cheese aged in the Combalou caves in Roquefort-sur-Soulzon may be labeled Roquefort. The Penicillium roqueforti must only be found in these same caves.

Within 48 hours of milking, the rennet is added to the ewe's milk. It's then heated and placed into large vats, where it's allowed to ferment into the curds. The curds are then carefully cut into cubes, drained and salted. It then remains at the dairy for a few days until it's transferred to the caves. Just before entering the caves, the cheese is thoroughly pierced to encourage the fungal growth. The soon to be blue cheese is then left in the caves for a few weeks to allow the spore growth. The loaves are then wrapped and remain aging for another 3 to 10 months.

There are people who avoid blue cheese due to its reputation for having a very pungent odor, distinctively strong and salty flavor. However, not all blue cheeses are alike, some are surprisingly mild. From the list above, here are some appropriate classifications for your discerning palate:

Mildest Blue Cheeses

Gorgonzola and Danish blue will have the mildest flavors. As a general rule, the soft and creamy blue cheeses have less of the strong punch other firmer cheeses have. The creamy crumbly cheeses will be the strongest. The hard cheeses are somewhere in the middle.

Moderately Strong Blue Cheeses

Stilton, a hard cheese, takes second place here. Just so you know, the rind is edible, but not particularly tasty to some individuals.

Strongest Blue Cheeses

The creamy, crumbly blue cheeses are going to be the strongest. Roquefort is definitely the winner in the strong blue cheese category. It has a distinctive bite and aroma no matter how you slice it. This may not be appropriate for the novice blue cheese consumer, unless, of course, you're me! Maytag is crumbly, and literally melts in your mouth. It takes second place on my list due to its spicy bite and tangy flavor.

Avoid cheese that's developed a lot of white mold on the rind. This can be an indication of improper handling. Let your nose be your guide! Soft cheese has a meaty smell to it, it should never have an ammonia smell. The creamy and crumbly types of cheese have an almost herbal smell, some say they smell a bit like grass. They will have a pungent odor, but again, if they smell like ammonia, steer clear. The firm blue cheeses will have a nutty or smoky smell and should never have a strong, gamey odor.

Of course, some of us are more smell impaired than others, so you will also want to use visual cues. If you find the cheese is growing different colors of mold, its texture is changing, or its just looking different from how it did when you originally received it, then it's best to throw it away.

How Long Does Blue Cheese Keep?

The softer blue cheeses should be eaten within a week of opening. The harder cheeses last longer, more like 2-3 weeks after you open them. Of course, there's always the “best if used before” dates on the package.

How to Properly Store Your Blue Cheese

Any firm blue cheeses like Stilton should be first wrapped in wax paper, then sealed in an airtight plastic bag, and placed in your refrigerator's cheese drawer. All other non-firm blue cheeses should simply be placed in an airtight plastic container with a few holes poked into the lid to avoid excessive moisture. Like the firm cheeses, place these in your fridge's cheese drawer. Blue cheeses are best served at room temperature, so allow them to sit for a while before serving.

Some farmer's markets have an excellent selection of blue cheeses. Gourmet food stores and specialty stores also have a wide assortment. One advantage of buying cheese in person is the opportunity to sample before you buy. Of course, the largest selection available is the blue cheese that's sold online. Many dairies have their own websites, Maytag Dairy Farms is a great example.

It's advised that you NOT eat blue cheese if you are allergic to penicillin.

It's ill advised to consume any unpasteurized foods during pregnancy as they may lead to a food borne illness.