If there is one cheese category that divides households, refrigerators, and friendships, it’s blue cheese. Loved for its savoury depth and unmistakable aroma. Feared for its tendency to announce itself loudly the moment the fridge door opens.

And yet, despite centuries of tradition and decades of food science, many people still store blue cheese the wrong way. Wrapped tightly in plastic. Suffocating in cling film. Or worse, left bare in a fridge drawer like a biological experiment.

Blue cheese does not want that life.

If you want your blue cheese to age gracefully, smell appropriately, and taste the way the cheesemaker intended, there is one material that consistently wins: foil.

This isn’t just cheesemonger folklore or a rule invented to make fridges smell better. Foil interacts with blue cheese in ways that plastic and paper simply can’t match. The reasons sit at the intersection of microbiology, moisture control, oxygen management, and the unique behaviour of Penicillium roqueforti.

Let’s unpack why foil is the unsung hero of blue cheese storage, using famous blues like Roquefort, Cashel Blue, and Caveman Blue as our guides.

Blue cheese is alive (and it acts like it)

All cheese is technically alive, at least microbiologically. But blue cheese is particularly active. It contains mould cultures that continue to respire, metabolise fats and proteins, and release aromatic compounds long after the cheese leaves the cave.

The blue veins you see are not decorative. They are living fungal networks producing enzymes that break down milk fat and protein into smaller molecules. These molecules are responsible for the savoury, mineral, meaty, and sometimes sweet notes that define blue cheese.

This activity does not stop in your fridge.

When you store blue cheese, you are not preserving something inert. You are managing a living system. The wrapping you choose determines how much oxygen reaches the mould, how much moisture escapes, and how volatile aromas are contained or released.

Foil happens to hit a rare sweet spot.

Oxygen: friend, enemy, and frenemy

Blue moulds need oxygen. That’s why blue cheeses are pierced during production. Those tiny channels allow oxygen into the interior, encouraging mould growth along specific pathways.

But once the cheese is mature, oxygen becomes a balancing act.

Too much oxygen, and the mould can become overactive. Flavours intensify quickly, textures soften excessively, and bitterness can creep in. Too little oxygen, and the cheese can stagnate, losing aromatic complexity and developing sulphuric notes.

Foil is not airtight, despite what many people assume. When loosely wrapped, it allows for minimal gas exchange while preventing constant exposure to fresh oxygen. This slows mould metabolism without stopping it entirely.

Plastic wrap, by contrast, creates a near-sealed environment. Oxygen is trapped initially, then rapidly depleted. Moisture builds up. The cheese sweats. Ammonia accumulates. The result is often a sticky surface and aromas that feel aggressive rather than nuanced.

Paper alone allows too much airflow. The cheese dries. The paste becomes crumbly in the wrong way. Blue veins can oxidise and lose vibrancy.

Foil sits in the middle, which is exactly where blue cheese likes to live.

Moisture control matters more than you think

Blue cheese contains more moisture than many hard cheeses. Even relatively firm blues rely on water activity to support enzymatic reactions inside the paste.

If moisture escapes too quickly, the cheese dries unevenly. The exterior hardens. The interior loses its creamy breakdown. If moisture is trapped excessively, surface slime and undesirable microbial growth can develop.

Foil reflects moisture back toward the cheese without sealing it in completely. It reduces dehydration while avoiding condensation build-up.

This is especially important for blues with a creamy interior, like Cashel Blue. This Irish classic relies on a delicate balance between crumbly structure and buttery softness. Wrapped in plastic, it can become tacky and overwhelming. Wrapped in paper, it can lose its luxurious mouthfeel.

Foil preserves the texture that the cheesemaker worked so hard to create.

Aroma containment is not about politeness (mostly)

Yes, wrapping blue cheese in foil helps stop your fridge from smelling like a medieval cave. But aroma control is not just a courtesy to your vegetables.

Blue cheese aromas are volatile compounds. They evaporate easily. When they escape the cheese too quickly, flavour intensity can actually decrease over time. The cheese becomes less expressive, not more.

Foil slows the loss of these aromatic compounds. It keeps them close to the cheese surface, allowing flavours to reintegrate rather than dissipate.

This is particularly noticeable with blues like Roquefort. Its characteristic mineral and grassy notes are tightly linked to volatile compounds produced during ripening. Poor storage strips these aromas away, leaving a flatter profile.

Good foil wrapping keeps the cheese smelling like itself, not like a memory of itself.

Foil protects without smothering

One of foil’s most underrated properties is its flexibility. It conforms to the cheese’s shape without applying pressure. This matters more than it sounds.

Blue cheese paste is often fragile. Pressing it too tightly can smear mould veins, disrupt internal structure, and push moisture toward the surface. Plastic wrap does this easily. Paper can wick moisture unevenly.

Foil cushions the cheese. It supports without compressing. It adapts as the cheese changes slightly over time.

This is especially relevant for blues that continue to soften after purchase, like Caveman Blue. This American blue is designed to develop deep savoury complexity over time. Foil allows that development to happen gradually rather than all at once.

Why plastic wrap is the worst offender

Plastic wrap seems convenient. It clings. It seals. It looks neat.

For blue cheese, it’s a disaster.

Plastic traps moisture and gases. Blue mould continues to respire, producing carbon dioxide and ammonia. With nowhere to go, these gases accumulate. The cheese develops harsh, nose-prickling aromas that feel out of balance.

The surface can become sticky or slimy. Flavours shift toward bitterness or excessive pungency. Texture suffers.

This is not the cheese becoming “stronger” in a good way. It’s the cheese being stressed.

Cheese does not respond well to stress.

What about wax paper or parchment?

Wax paper and parchment are often suggested as alternatives, and they can work in certain contexts. But they are rarely ideal on their own for blue cheese.

Paper allows too much moisture loss. It also offers little protection from oxygen. Over time, the cheese dries and flavours dull.

Many professional cheesemongers use a hybrid approach: cheese paper or parchment on the surface, followed by a loose foil wrap. The paper protects the rind. The foil manages moisture and gas exchange.

At home, if you don’t have cheese paper, foil alone is a better choice than paper alone.

Traditional practices got this right

Long before modern packaging existed, blue cheeses were wrapped in natural materials that behaved similarly to foil. Leaves. Bark. Animal skins. Even cloth soaked in fat.

The goal was always the same: protect the cheese without isolating it completely.

Roquefort, historically stored and transported in caves, relied on stable humidity and limited airflow. Cashel Blue developed in farm kitchens where wrapping materials were pragmatic rather than perfect. Caveman Blue draws on old-world techniques adapted for modern production.

Foil, while modern, mimics these traditional conditions remarkably well.

How to wrap blue cheese properly in foil

Not all foil wrapping is created equal. Technique matters.

First, do not wrap the cheese straight from the fridge if condensation is present. Let the surface dry slightly at cool room temperature.

Second, wrap loosely. The foil should follow the shape of the cheese but not be pressed tight. Think jacket, not shrink wrap.

Third, rewrap after each use. Old foil holds aromas and moisture unevenly. Fresh foil gives you a clean slate.

Finally, store the wrapped cheese in the warmest part of your fridge, usually the vegetable drawer. This reduces temperature shock and slows flavour distortion.

Does foil stop blue cheese from overripening?

No. And that’s a good thing.

Foil does not halt maturation. It moderates it. Blue cheese will continue to evolve, but at a pace that preserves balance.

If you want to slow things further, reduce surface area exposure by cutting smaller portions. If you want to encourage development, allow the cheese to breathe briefly before rewrapping.

Storage is not about freezing cheese in time. It’s about guiding its journey.

The takeaway: foil respects the cheese

Foil works because it respects what blue cheese is. Alive. Moist. Aromatic. Delicate in its own assertive way.

It manages oxygen without eliminating it. It controls moisture without trapping it. It protects flavour instead of flattening it.

Whether you’re storing a wedge of Roquefort, a creamy slice of Cashel Blue, or a bold piece of Caveman Blue, foil gives the cheese the environment it needs to be itself.

And honestly, your fridge will thank you too.

Final thoughts (and a gentle nudge)

Blue cheese already asks a lot of the eater. Attention. Curiosity. A willingness to lean into savoury intensity. The least we can do is store it properly.

If you’ve ever thought a blue cheese was “too much,” there’s a good chance it wasn’t the cheese’s fault. Storage shapes flavour more than most people realise.

If you enjoyed this deep dive into cheese science and everyday cheesemonger wisdom, you’ll love what I send to my email list. I share behind-the-scenes cheese science, rare cheese stories, and practical tips that actually make your cheese taste better.

Join the Cheese Scientist email list and get smarter (and tastier) cheese knowledge delivered straight to your inbox.

Jonah Kincaid

Cheese lover. Scientist. Created a website and a Youtube channel about cheese science because he could not find answers to his questions online. 

cheesescientist.com

The post How To Store Blue Cheese Properly (Why Foil Beats Plastic) appeared first on Cheese Scientist.

In a country that has elevated blue cheese to an art form, Bleu de Termignon sits awkwardly, proudly, and a little stubbornly to one side. It has no added mould. No pierced veins. No industrial starter cultures. And no tidy consistency from wheel to wheel. Some wheels are barely blue at all. Others look like they’ve been quietly overtaken by a benevolent fungus with its own agenda.

This is not a cheese you make in the conventional sense. It is a cheese you allow.

And that is precisely why it may be the most unique blue cheese France has ever produced.

A blue cheese that breaks every blue cheese rule

Let’s get the obvious out of the way.

Bleu de Termignon is a blue cheese with:

• no added Penicillium cultures
• no piercing to introduce oxygen
• no guarantee it will even turn blue

From a cheesemaking textbook perspective, this is borderline heresy.

Most blue cheeses rely on deliberate inoculation with Penicillium roqueforti. The mould is selected, cultured, added, and then given oxygen highways through skewering. The process is controlled. Predictable. Repeatable.

Bleu de Termignon shrugs at all of that.

Its blue comes entirely from wild, native moulds already present in the milk and environment. Some wheels bloom with soft blue freckles. Some develop dramatic marbling. Others remain almost entirely white, save for a faint whisper of colour.

All of them are considered authentic.

That variability isn’t a flaw.
It’s the point.

One valley, one pasture, one moment in time

Bleu de Termignon comes from a single corner of the Alps: the Maurienne Valley, tucked within Savoie.

This is not broad-terroir cheese. This is hyper-local cheese.

Production is limited to summer, when cows graze on high alpine pastures rich in wild grasses, flowers, and herbs. These plants shape the milk microbiome, which in turn determines whether blue mould will appear at all.

• No two summers are the same.
• No two pastures are the same.
• No two cheeses are the same.

Bleu de Termignon is seasonal in a way that most modern cheeses simply are not allowed to be anymore.

The milk does all the talking

Raw milk is often described as “complex” or “alive”, but in most cheeses, that life is still guided and restrained.

Not here.

Bleu de Termignon uses raw cow’s milk, and the milk is barely interfered with. There is no standardisation. No attempt to tame its microbial population. The cheesemaker’s role is largely observational.

Think less “engineering” and more “shepherding”.

The milk’s native bacteria, yeasts, and moulds decide:

• if blue mould develops
• how quickly it appears
• how intense it becomes
• how it interacts with the paste

This makes the cheese feel less like a product and more like a biological event.

A blue cheese without veins

One of the most visually striking things about Bleu de Termignon is the absence of classic blue veining.

There are no tidy networks of mould tracing air channels through the paste. Instead, blue appears as:

• small freckles
• cloud-like blooms
• irregular patches

Sometimes the blue is so faint that you need to look closely. Other times it dominates entire sections of the wheel.

The mould grows where it can, not where it’s told to.

This gives the cheese a far more organic appearance than its cousins like Roquefort or Bleu d’Auvergne. It looks wild because it is wild.

The flavour: blue cheese, but not as you know it

If you’re expecting aggressive pungency, slow down.

Bleu de Termignon is not about confrontation. Its flavour profile is surprisingly gentle for a blue:

• milky and lactic at first
• grassy and herbal
• lightly animal
• softly peppery, rather than overtly spicy

When blue mould is present, it tends to bring earthiness and savouriness, not the searing intensity people associate with blues.

Some wheels taste almost like an alpine tomme with philosophical ambitions. Others lean more assertively blue, but even then, the mould rarely dominates.

This makes Bleu de Termignon unusually approachable, even for people who claim not to like blue cheese.

Texture: firm, sliceable, and quietly strange

Most blue cheeses fall into familiar textural categories:

• crumbly
• creamy
• spoonable

Bleu de Termignon does none of those.

It is firm and sliceable, closer to a mountain cheese than a classic blue. The paste can be dense, elastic, and slightly granular, depending on age and moisture.

The blue mould doesn’t soften the paste dramatically. Instead, it integrates into it.

The result is a cheese that behaves more like a hard or semi-hard cheese on the board, while tasting unmistakably blue.

That contradiction alone makes it remarkable.

No AOP, no safety net

Despite its singularity, Bleu de Termignon does not have AOP protection.

This isn’t because it lacks heritage. Quite the opposite.

The cheese is so variable, so dependent on chance and environment, that codifying it into a strict specification would undermine its essence. You cannot mandate wild mould behaviour. You cannot standardise unpredictability.

Its identity survives because:

• production is tiny
• knowledge is passed locally
• tradition outweighs market pressure

In an era of branding and certification, Bleu de Termignon exists largely because it refuses to scale.

A cheese that challenges modern cheesemaking logic

From a modern food safety and consistency standpoint, Bleu de Termignon is uncomfortable.

It asks questions the industry doesn’t love answering:

• How much control is too much?
• Is variability inherently risky, or just unfamiliar?
• Can a cheese still be “excellent” if it refuses to behave?

Bleu de Termignon reminds us that cheesemaking did not begin as a controlled process. It began as an observation of milk’s natural transformations.

This cheese sits closer to that origin story than almost anything else still made today.

Why some wheels never turn blue at all

Here’s the part that really breaks people’s brains.

Some authentic Bleu de Termignon wheels show no blue mould whatsoever.

They are still sold as Bleu de Termignon.

Why?

Because the identity of the cheese is not defined by blue presence alone. It is defined by:

• place
• milk
• season
• method

Blue mould is a possibility, not a requirement.

This forces us to confront an uncomfortable truth: we often define cheeses by visual cues rather than by process or origin. Bleu de Termignon flips that on its head.

The cheesemaker: restraint, patience, and local knowledge

Bleu de Termignon is not made by factories or even by large creameries. It is produced by a small handful of farmers and cheesemakers working within the valley, often alongside their own herds.

One of the most well-known producers is Catherine Richard, whose work has become closely associated with the cheese. She works with a small herd of around 18 cows, primarily Tarine and Abondance breeds, moved to high alpine pasture during the summer months. These hardy mountain cows, and the plants they graze, shape the milk that ultimately decides whether the cheese will turn blue at all.

The cheesemaker’s role here is deliberately minimal. Milk is handled gently. Coagulation, cutting, and draining follow local tradition rather than written protocol. There is no attempt to seed blue mould or to correct its absence. The cheese is simply turned, salted, and aged, with careful attention rather than intervention.

This requires a particular mindset. You need to be comfortable with uncertainty. You need to accept that nature may not perform on cue. And you need enough experience to recognise when a cheese is developing character rather than heading for trouble.

In that sense, Bleu de Termignon reflects its makers perfectly. It rewards patience, humility, and trust in the land. The cheesemaker does not impose identity on the cheese. They protect the conditions that allow it to reveal its own.

Eating Bleu de Termignon is an act of trust

When you buy this cheese, you are accepting uncertainty.

You do not know:

• how blue it will be
• how intense it will taste
• how this year’s pasture shaped it

Instead, you trust the valley. You trust the milk. And you trust time.

That trust is increasingly rare in modern food systems.

Why it will never be widely available

Bleu de Termignon cannot be industrialised without ceasing to be itself.

Scaling would require:

• standardised cultures
• controlled mould development
• predictable outcomes

At that point, it would become a different cheese wearing the same name.

Its rarity is not a marketing choice. It is a biological necessity.

How to serve it (without overthinking it)

Bleu de Termignon doesn’t want fuss.

Serve it:

• at cellar temperature
• sliced, not crumbled
• with simple bread
• maybe boiled potatoes if you’re feeling alpine

Avoid drowning it in sweet accompaniments. Let the milk speak first. The mould will join the conversation when it’s ready.

A cheese that resists definition

Every great cheese tells a story.

Bleu de Termignon tells several, and none of them line up neatly.

It is:

• a blue cheese that may not be blue
• a mountain cheese with mould ambitions
• a raw milk cheese that refuses control
• a product of place more than process

In a country famous for refining cheese into perfected categories, Bleu de Termignon stands apart by refusing categorisation altogether.

That refusal is not a weakness. It is its quiet, stubborn brilliance.

Why Bleu de Termignon might be France’s most important blue cheese

Bleu de Termignon is not the most famous. Not the most powerful. Not the most recognisable.

But perhaps the most honest.

It reminds us that cheese is not just a recipe. It is ecology, chance, restraint.

And sometimes, the most extraordinary thing a cheesemaker can do is step back and let nature finish the sentence.

Bleu de Termignon does exactly that.

If you enjoy deep dives like this into cheeses that refuse to behave, you’ll probably like my email list. I share new posts, research notes, and the occasional strong opinion straight to your inbox. No spam. No fluff. Just cheese, properly interrogated.

Jonah Kincaid

Cheese lover. Scientist. Created a website and a Youtube channel about cheese science because he could not find answers to his questions online. 

cheesescientist.com

The post Why Bleu de Termignon Might Be France’s Most Unusual Blue Cheese appeared first on Cheese Scientist.

Blue cheese is one of those foods that makes parents pause mid-meal, usually somewhere between curiosity and quiet concern. It smells strong, looks mouldy, and often comes wrapped in modern advice that feels far stricter than what many families grew up with.

That tension is understandable, especially if you come from a culture where blue cheese has always been part of everyday eating. So rather than asking whether blue cheese is simply “safe” or “unsafe,” it helps to ask more thoughtful questions about which blue cheeses, how they are made, and how they are offered to toddlers.

What blue cheese actually is

Blue cheese is not one single product, but a broad family of cheeses made using specific mould cultures that are deliberately added during production.

These moulds, most commonly Penicillium roqueforti, grow through the cheese as it matures, forming the familiar blue or green veins and contributing to its distinctive aroma and flavour.

This process is not accidental or modern. It is a controlled fermentation that has existed for centuries, long before refrigeration or industrial food systems became the norm.

Why blue cheese raises questions in early childhood

When parents hesitate around blue cheese, that hesitation usually comes from a good place. Early childhood is a period where food safety guidance is intentionally cautious, because toddlers are still developing immune, digestive, and sensory systems.

However, modern advice often collapses very different foods into a single category. Blue cheese is frequently grouped with “risky foods” without considering how differently individual cheeses are produced, aged, and regulated.

This is where nuance matters.

Not all blue cheeses behave the same way, and treating them as interchangeable can create unnecessary fear.

Rethinking pasteurisation in context

Pasteurisation is often presented as the defining line between safe and unsafe cheese. In reality, it is only one of many factors that influence risk.

Across France and much of Europe, children have eaten unpasteurised blue cheeses for generations. Roquefort is perhaps the most famous example, and it was never considered a fringe or dangerous food within its cultural context.

Historically, safety came from control rather than heat treatment.

Milk quality, animal health, hygiene, ageing conditions, salt levels, and microbial balance all played essential roles.

Why the type of unpasteurised cheese matters

Lumping all raw milk blue cheeses together misses a critical distinction. How a cheese is made matters just as much as whether the milk was pasteurised.

A blue cheese produced under an AOP or PDO system is made according to strict, legally defined rules.

These regulations govern milk sourcing, animal health, production methods, ageing times, and environmental conditions.

Roquefort, for example, must be produced in a specific region, using defined practices that have been refined and monitored for centuries. That level of regulation creates predictability, which is one of the most important contributors to food safety.

When unpasteurised cheese may carry higher risk

In contrast, a small-batch blue cheese made on a local farm using a family recipe may operate very differently. This does not make it inferior, but it does make it less predictable.

Small-scale production can mean greater variation in milk microbiology, hygiene practices, and ageing environments. For healthy adults, that variability is often part of the appeal.

For toddlers, however, predictability matters more than romance. In some cases, a tightly regulated traditional cheese may be a lower-risk choice than an unregulated alternative, regardless of pasteurisation.

The role of salt and ageing in traditional safety

Blue cheeses are typically high in salt, and while this raises nutritional questions for toddlers, it also plays a role in safety. Salt limits the growth of unwanted bacteria during maturation and helps stabilise the cheese over time.

Long ageing periods further reduce risk by lowering moisture and creating a stable microbial environment. Many traditional blue cheeses are aged well beyond the minimum required for safety.

This combination helps explain why certain unpasteurised blue cheeses have been eaten safely for centuries. They were designed to be resilient foods, not fragile ones.

Salt still matters for toddlers

While salt contributes to safety, it remains a limiting factor for young children. Toddlers need very little sodium, and blue cheese can deliver a lot of it very quickly.

This does not mean blue cheese must be avoided entirely. It does mean portion size is far more important for toddlers than it is for adults.

Blue cheese should never be a daily food at this age. It belongs firmly in the category of occasional exposure rather than regular intake.

Sensory intensity and early eating experiences

Toddlers experience flavour differently from adults, often with much greater intensity. Strong aromas and savoury compounds that adults enjoy can feel overwhelming at first exposure.

Some toddlers will reject blue cheese immediately. Others may surprise you with enthusiasm.

Both responses are normal and developmentally appropriate. What matters most is keeping the experience low-pressure and emotionally neutral.

Texture and practical safety

Most blue cheeses are soft or crumbly, which generally works in a toddler’s favour. However, how the cheese is prepared still matters.

Blue cheese should always be finely crumbled or thinly spread, never offered in chunks or cubes. Mixing it into familiar foods helps manage both texture and intensity.

Texture safety is just as important as ingredient safety. Both deserve attention.

So, can toddlers eat blue cheese?

Yes, toddlers can eat blue cheese under certain conditions. The focus should be on the type of cheese, the level of regulation, and the amount offered, rather than pasteurisation alone.

A traditional blue cheese made under strict standards may present less risk than a loosely controlled alternative. That distinction is often missing from simplified feeding advice.

Suitability, however, still matters. Even safe foods are not always appropriate in large quantities.

Age and developmental readiness

There is no single age at which blue cheese suddenly becomes appropriate. Development varies widely between children.

Under twelve months, blue cheese is best avoided. Between one and two years, exposure should be cautious and minimal.

After age two, some toddlers can manage small tastes more comfortably. Even then, moderation remains essential.

How to offer blue cheese thoughtfully

If you choose to offer blue cheese, think in terms of exposure rather than serving size. A pinch is enough to introduce flavour without overwhelming the system.

Mixing it into familiar foods softens both salt and intensity. Serving it as part of a meal, rather than on its own, further reduces sensory impact.

There is no need to push. Curiosity can be encouraged without pressure.

Accidental exposure and reassurance

Toddlers often encounter blue cheese accidentally, especially during shared meals. In most cases, this is not cause for alarm.

If the cheese was produced under strict standards and the amount was small, serious outcomes are unlikely. Observation is usually all that is required.

Medical advice is only necessary if symptoms such as fever, vomiting, or unusual lethargy appear. Otherwise, reassurance is appropriate.

Does blue cheese belong in a toddler’s diet?

Nutritionally, toddlers do not need blue cheese. Calcium, protein, and fat are easily obtained from milder, lower-salt cheeses.

Blue cheese is optional.

It reflects cultural food practices rather than dietary necessity.

Including it thoughtfully can support food curiosity. Excluding it entirely causes no harm.

The bottom line

Blue cheese is not automatically unsafe for toddlers, and pasteurisation alone does not define risk. Greater attention should be paid to how a cheese is made, regulated, aged, and handled.

Traditional protected blue cheeses behave very differently from unregulated small-batch products. For toddlers, portion size, context, and predictability matter most.

When approached calmly and thoughtfully, blue cheese can be a cultural food rather than a forbidden one. And as always, confidence and moderation matter more than rigid rules.

Join my email list

If you enjoy calm, evidence-based guidance on cheese, toddlers, and food safety — without fear, guilt, or oversimplified rules — you might like my emails.

I share practical food science, cultural context, and thoughtful feeding advice straight to your inbox. You can join the list here.

References

1. European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). Risks related to Listeria monocytogenes in ready-to-eat foods.
2. French Ministry of Agriculture. AOP cheese production standards and food safety controls.
3. Montel, M. C. et al. (2014). Traditional cheeses: Rich and diverse microbiota with associated benefits.
4. World Health Organization (WHO). Guideline: Sodium intake for adults and children.
5. Fox, P. F., Guinee, T. P., Cogan, T. M., & McSweeney, P. L. H. Fundamentals of Cheese Science.
6. Spanu, C. et al. (2017). Raw milk cheeses and microbial safety: A European perspective.
7. NHS. Feeding young children: cheese and dairy guidance.

Sabine Lefèvre

Sabine is the creative force behind Cheese Scientist. She is a sustainable living advocate, a climate change protestor and is pro-choice. And, most relevantly, she is also a lactose intolerant cheese lover.

The post Your Toddler Isn’t Too Young for Blue Cheese — But Context Matters appeared first on Cheese Scientist.

If you’ve ever cut into a wedge of blue cheese and noticed the tiny tunnels, cracks, or pinprick holes running through it, you’ve already met one of the most important features in blue cheesemaking.

Those holes are not mistakes. They are not “bad ageing”. And they’re definitely not there by accident.

In fact, without them, most blue cheeses simply wouldn’t be blue at all.

This post unpacks why blue cheeses have holes, how they form, what they do for flavour and texture, and why cheesemakers work surprisingly hard to control something that looks so chaotic.

Blue cheese is an oxygen problem (and a solution)

At its core, blue cheese is an exercise in oxygen management.

The mould that gives blue cheese its colour, aroma, and bite is Penicillium roqueforti. This mould is aerobic. That means it needs oxygen to grow.

Milk, curds, and pressed cheese are not exactly oxygen-rich environments. Once curds are formed and drained, they quickly become dense and low-oxygen. That’s great for many cheeses. It’s terrible for blue mould.

So cheesemakers had to solve a problem:

How do you get oxygen deep inside a cheese without breaking it apart?

The answer is holes.

The holes are air highways for mould

Those small openings inside blue cheese act as oxygen channels.

They allow air to move from the outside of the cheese into the interior. Along those air paths, Penicillium roqueforti wakes up, grows, and produces the familiar blue-green veins.

Where there is oxygen, mould grows.
Where there isn’t, it doesn’t.

That’s why blue cheese doesn’t turn uniformly blue. Instead, it forms veins, streaks, and pockets that follow cracks and air spaces. The mould is literally tracing the cheese’s internal airflow.

Holes come before veins

A common assumption is that blue mould somehow creates the holes.

It doesn’t.

The holes come first. The mould follows.

During early cheesemaking, blue cheeses are handled much more gently than pressed cheeses like Cheddar. Curds are often loosely packed into moulds rather than pressed hard together.

This leaves behind:

• Small gaps between curds
• Irregular cracks
• Micro-pockets of trapped air

These spaces later become the scaffolding for blue mould growth.

If the curds were pressed tightly and fully knit together, oxygen would be excluded. The mould would suffocate. You’d end up with a dense white cheese with no blue character.

Piercing: the moment the holes really matter

Most blue cheeses are pierced during ageing.

This is when long stainless-steel needles are pushed through the wheel or cylinder of cheese. Dozens of holes are made in a deliberate pattern.

This piercing step serves two purposes:

1. It introduces fresh oxygen into the interior
2. It connects existing air pockets into continuous channels

Think of it like ventilation.

Once pierced, air can move freely through the cheese. Dormant mould spores inside the paste suddenly have access to oxygen. Growth accelerates. Veins expand outward from the pierced holes.

Without piercing, blue development would be weak, patchy, or confined to the surface.

Not all holes look the same

Blue cheese holes aren’t uniform, and that’s intentional.

Different styles aim for different internal structures.

Some blues have:

• Fine, hairline cracks
• Small pinholes
• Delicate marbling

Others have:

• Large cavities
• Chunky blue pockets
• Dramatic internal landscapes

These differences come down to curd size, moisture, handling, and how aggressively the cheese is pierced.

A more open structure allows faster mould growth and bolder flavour. A tighter structure slows things down and keeps the blue more restrained.

Holes shape flavour, not just appearance

Blue cheese flavour isn’t only about mould being present. It’s about what the mould does once it has oxygen.

As Penicillium roqueforti grows, it produces enzymes that break down:

• Milk fats (lipolysis)
• Milk proteins (proteolysis)

These reactions generate many of the compounds we associate with blue cheese:

• Peppery notes
• Savoury depth
• Mushroomy aromas
• That unmistakable piquant, tingling finish on the palate

The more oxygen the mould gets, the more active these reactions become.

That means holes don’t just enable blue veins. They actively control flavour intensity.

Fewer holes. Milder blue. More airflow. Bigger personality.

Texture depends on those air pockets too

Blue cheese texture is closely tied to its internal openness.

The breakdown of fats and proteins near air channels softens the paste. That’s why blue cheeses often feel:

• Creamy near veins
• Crumbly yet yielding
• Softening from the inside out

If oxygen were evenly distributed (which it never is), the cheese would mature uniformly. Instead, you get contrast. Firmer areas sit next to buttery, breakdown-rich pockets.

Those textural shifts are part of the appeal. Each bite changes depending on where it lands relative to a vein or cavity.

Why blue cheese holes aren’t “eyes”

It’s worth clearing up a common misconception.

The holes in blue cheese are not the same as the eyes in Alpine-style cheeses.

Eyes in cheeses like Emmental are formed by carbon dioxide produced by bacteria during fermentation. Gas builds up, stretches the paste, and creates round, glossy holes.

Blue cheese holes are different:

• They’re irregular, not spherical
• They’re formed mechanically and structurally
• They’re designed for airflow, not gas expansion

If blue cheese relied on gas production to create holes, the structure would be unpredictable and often destructive. Instead, cheesemakers build openness into the curd from the start.

Too many holes can be a problem

More holes are not always better.

If a blue cheese is too open, several things can go wrong:

• Excessive moisture loss
• Overly aggressive mould growth
• Bitter or metallic flavours
• Structural weakness

Cheesemakers walk a fine line. They want enough airflow for healthy blue development, but not so much that the cheese collapses under its own enzymatic enthusiasm.

This is why blue cheesemaking is as much about restraint as it is about encouraging mould.

Some blue cheeses hide their holes better

Not all blue cheeses advertise their internal architecture.

Some styles have:

• Tighter pastes
• Smaller, more evenly distributed air channels
• Subtle veining

Others are proudly chaotic inside.

The difference often comes down to milk type, moisture, and ageing conditions rather than mould strain alone.

A denser blue still needs oxygen. It just gets it through finer cracks rather than dramatic cavities.

What happens if you remove oxygen entirely?

If you vacuum-seal a young blue cheese before mould has fully developed, the result is telling.

Blue growth stalls. Veins stop expanding. Flavour development slows dramatically.

The cheese doesn’t spoil. It just pauses.

That’s because the mould can’t breathe.

Those holes and channels aren’t optional extras. They’re the difference between a living, evolving cheese and a frozen snapshot of one moment in time.

Blue cheese is engineered chaos

From the outside, blue cheese looks rustic and unruly. Inside, it’s even more so.

But the chaos is carefully engineered.

• Curd size.
• Packing style.
• Piercing patterns.
• Ageing humidity.
• Oxygen availability.

All of these variables determine where holes form and how the mould uses them.

What looks accidental is actually the result of hundreds of tiny decisions made by the cheesemaker.

So why do most blue cheeses have holes?

Because without them:

• The mould couldn’t grow
• The veins wouldn’t form
• The flavour wouldn’t develop
• The texture wouldn’t soften correctly

The holes are not flaws. They’re infrastructure. They are the breathing system of blue cheese.

And every vein you see is simply mould following the path of air, doing exactly what it has evolved to do.

The takeaway

Blue cheese holes aren’t there to look pretty. They aren’t signs of poor craftsmanship. They’re deliberate, functional, and essential.

They let oxygen in. They guide mould growth. They shape flavour and texture. Remove the holes, and you remove the blue.

If you enjoyed this kind of deep-dive into how cheese really works, you’ll probably like what I send by email. I share new posts, weird cheese science, and the occasional rabbit hole worth falling into.

You can join the Cheese Scientist email list below and get the good stuff straight to your inbox. No spam. Just better cheese knowledge.

Jonah Kincaid

Cheese lover. Scientist. Created a website and a Youtube channel about cheese science because he could not find answers to his questions online. 

cheesescientist.com

The post Why Blue Cheese Has Holes (It’s Not What You Think) appeared first on Cheese Scientist.

If you’ve ever made blue cheese, you already know the mould is doing most of the heavy lifting. That pungent, savoury aroma. The peppery bite. The veins that look chaotic but behave with precision.

That’s Penicillium roqueforti at work.

Today, most cheesemakers buy freeze-dried cultures in neat little sachets. They’re clean, predictable, and boring in the best possible way. But for most of blue cheese history, that wasn’t how it worked at all.

Instead, cheesemakers grew their mould on… bread.

Not metaphorically. Not accidentally. Very deliberately.

And unsurprisingly, the next question is one that a lot of home cheesemakers have asked me:

Can stale bread be used to grow Penicillium roqueforti for blue cheese?

The answer is yes. Historically, that was the norm. But doing it well requires far more understanding than most modern retellings admit.

Why Penicillium roqueforti needs help in the first place

Unlike surface moulds used on Brie or Camembert, blue cheese moulds don’t just politely bloom on the outside.

Penicillium roqueforti is an internal mould.

It needs:

• Oxygen
• Moisture
• A food source
• A way to survive being mixed into curds

Milk alone doesn’t give it all of that upfront. So historically, cheesemakers cultivated the mould separately before introducing it into the cheese.

Bread turned out to be the perfect medium.

Why bread works so well as a mould substrate

Stale bread offers almost everything Penicillium roqueforti wants:

• Starch that can be broken down into simple sugars
• Low moisture, which discourages many competing bacteria
• Porous structure, allowing oxygen to penetrate
• Neutral flavour, so it doesn’t dominate the cheese

Crucially, bread doesn’t contain fats that would inhibit mould growth. It’s basically a fungal gym.

This is why bread has been used for centuries to cultivate moulds, not just for cheese but also for fermentation starters more broadly.

The historical method: how blue mould was traditionally grown

In regions like Roquefort-sur-Soulzon, cheesemakers didn’t isolate moulds under microscopes. They worked by observation, repetition, and brutal natural selection.

The traditional method looked roughly like this:

1. Bake simple bread
   No salt. No fat. No sugar. Just flour and water.
2. Dry it thoroughly
   Stale wasn’t enough. The bread needed to be hard.
3. Expose it to the environment
   Often caves already rich in Penicillium roqueforti spores.
4. Wait for blue-green mould growth
   Not white. Not black. Not fuzzy grey.
5. Dry the mouldy bread again
   This stopped unwanted microbes from taking over.
6. Powder the bread
   The mould spores were now shelf-stable.

That powder was then added to milk or curds to inoculate blue cheese.

This wasn’t folk magic. It was empirical microbiology without the lab coat.

Why Penicillium roqueforti thrives on bread but not milk alone

Milk is rich, but it’s also competitive.

Fresh milk contains:

• Lactic acid bacteria
• Enzymes
• Dissolved oxygen that disappears quickly

Penicillium roqueforti prefers an environment where it can establish itself first, without being bullied by faster-growing microbes.

Bread gives it that head start.

Once introduced into cheese curds, the mould is already robust enough to survive salting, draining, and early acidification.

That’s the key. Bread isn’t feeding the cheese. It’s training the mould.

From bread to blue cheese: how the mould enters the curd

Once the bread-grown mould is powdered, it’s typically added in one of three ways:

1. Added directly to milk

The spores disperse evenly before coagulation. This creates fine, even veining.

2. Mixed into curds

More traditional. Results in patchier, bolder veins.

3. Combined with whey or water

Creates a slurry for more controlled distribution.

In all cases, the bread itself never becomes part of the cheese. Only the spores move forward.

Why piercing matters more than the bread ever did

Growing the mould is only half the battle.

Penicillium roqueforti is aerobic. It needs oxygen. Cheese interiors don’t provide that naturally.

That’s why blue cheeses are pierced.

Those little holes aren’t decoration. They’re ventilation shafts.

Once oxygen enters the cheese, the dormant spores wake up and spread through the curd, digesting fats and proteins and releasing the compounds we associate with blue cheese flavour.

Without piercing, even the best bread-grown mould does nothing.

Does bread-grown mould change flavour?

Yes. And this is where things get genuinely interesting.

Traditional bread-grown cultures tend to be less uniform than commercial strains. That can lead to:

• Greater aromatic complexity
• More savoury, meaty notes
• Less predictable intensity
• Occasional earthy or mushroomy undertones

Some of the world’s most distinctive blue cheeses owe their character to this microbial diversity.

But unpredictability cuts both ways.

The modern safety reality

Here’s where I need to be very clear.

Growing mould on bread can be done safely, but it requires:

1. Controlled environments
2. Careful strain selection
3. Experience identifying moulds visually and aromatically

Bread will happily grow things you do not want in cheese.

• Black moulds.
• Yeasts that produce off flavours.
• Moulds that produce mycotoxins.

Historically, cheesemakers lost batches. Sometimes entire seasons. The survivors passed on knowledge. The failures rarely wrote cookbooks.

Modern starter cultures exist because they reduce risk. Not because tradition was wrong, but because consistency matters when people aren’t expecting roulette with their cheese board.

Can home cheesemakers do this today?

Technically? Yes.

Practically? Only if you know what you’re doing.

Most home experiments fail because:

• The bread isn’t dry enough
• The environment isn’t selective
• The wrong mould dominates
• The spores are introduced too late

And once unwanted moulds are present, you can’t “edit” them out later.

That’s why most modern blue cheese recipes still recommend commercial cultures — even when following traditional styles.

What bread-based mould cultivation teaches us about cheese

This isn’t just a quirky historical footnote. It reveals something fundamental about cheesemaking.

Cheese isn’t made in isolation. It’s made in dialogue with its environment.

Bread acted as a bridge between cave and cheese. A way to carry invisible life from place to place, batch to batch.

When we talk about terroir in cheese, this is part of it. Not just the milk. Not just the pasture. But the microbial memory embedded in tools, walls, and yes — stale bread.

So, can you use stale bread to make blue cheese?

If we’re being precise:

You cannot make blue cheese from bread. But you absolutely can make blue cheese with mould grown on bread.

That’s not a hack. That’s history.

Modern cheesemaking has cleaned up the process. It hasn’t erased the truth behind it.

Bread was never the cheese.
It was the mould’s classroom.

Final takeaway

Growing Penicillium roqueforti on bread is one of those practices that sounds strange until you understand the biology. Then it feels inevitable.

Bread provides structure. Mould provides flavour. Milk provides the canvas.

When those three align, you don’t get a gimmick. You get blue cheese.

And if that doesn’t make you appreciate how much invisible life shapes what we eat, nothing will.

If you enjoyed this deep dive into the strange, beautiful intersection of mould, bread, and blue cheese, I share this kind of research regularly.

Join my email list for weekly cheese science, fermentation history, and myth-busting that goes deeper than the surface rind.

Because the best cheese stories always start where the microbes live.

Jonah Kincaid

Cheese lover. Scientist. Created a website and a Youtube channel about cheese science because he could not find answers to his questions online. 

cheesescientist.com

The post The Strange Reason Cheesemakers Once Grew Blue Mould on Bread appeared first on Cheese Scientist.

Blue cheese and pear fall firmly into the second camp. Put them together on a plate and something quietly magical happens. The cheese tastes deeper. The pear tastes sweeter. The edges soften. The whole thing feels more complete than either ingredient does alone.

This isn’t an accident. It’s chemistry, microbiology, and sensory science doing what they do best.

Let’s dig into why blue cheese and pear are such a reliably brilliant pairing, and why your brain keeps nodding along every time you eat them together.

First, let’s define the players

Before we get scientific, we need to be clear about what we mean by blue cheese and pear. Both categories are broader than they look.

What we mean by blue cheese

Blue cheeses are defined by the presence of Penicillium moulds, usually Penicillium roqueforti. These moulds are responsible for the blue-green veins, the distinctive aroma, and the complex flavour profile.

Classic examples include:

• Roquefort – sheep’s milk, salty, sharp, and intense
• Gorgonzola – often creamier, with both sweet and savoury versions
• Stilton – rich, rounded, and slightly nutty

Despite their differences, all blue cheeses share a core flavour architecture. That’s what makes the pairing science transferable across styles.

Does the type of pear matter?

Pears are sweet, but not aggressively so. They’re aromatic, juicy, and structurally soft. They also contain a surprisingly complex mix of sugars, acids, and volatile compounds.

Varieties matter. A crisp Williams pear behaves differently to a buttery Comice. But the underlying principles remain consistent.

The flavour contrast principle (sweet vs savoury)

The most obvious reason blue cheese and pear work is contrast.

Blue cheese is:

• Salty
• Savoury
• Bitter
• Umami-rich

Pear is:

• Sweet
• Mildly acidic
• Fresh
• Aromatic

When you combine sweet and salty foods, you amplify both. Salt suppresses bitterness and enhances sweetness. Sugar softens sharp edges and rounds aggressive flavours.

This is why salted caramel works. It’s why feta and watermelon work. And it’s why blue cheese and pear feel so balanced.

But contrast alone isn’t enough to explain how good this pairing is.

For that, we need to talk about aroma.

Aroma compounds: where the real magic happens

Flavour isn’t taste. It’s mostly smell.

When you eat blue cheese or pear, volatile aroma compounds travel from your mouth up to your nose. Your brain integrates those signals into a single flavour experience.

Here’s the interesting part.

Blue cheese aroma chemistry

Blue cheeses are packed with compounds produced during mould metabolism and fat breakdown, including:

• Methyl ketones (like 2-heptanone and 2-nonanone)
• Secondary alcohols
• Free fatty acids

These compounds give blue cheese its signature notes: earthy, mushroomy, spicy, sometimes almost metallic.

On their own, they can feel intense. Even confrontational.

Pear aroma chemistry

Pears, on the other hand, are rich in:

• Esters (responsible for fruity sweetness)
• Lactones (creamy, coconut-like notes)
• Aldehydes (fresh, green aromas)

These compounds smell soft, ripe, and round.

Why this matters

Some of the fruity esters in pear overlap perceptually with the creamy notes produced in blue cheese during lipolysis. Your brain reads them as complementary rather than competing.

In simple terms, pear doesn’t fight blue cheese. It cushions it.

The result is a smoother, more integrated aroma profile that feels intentional rather than chaotic.

Texture science: fat meets water

Texture is often overlooked in pairing discussions, but it matters just as much as flavour.

Blue cheese texture

Blue cheeses tend to be:

• Fat-rich
• Dense or creamy
• Mouth-coating

Fat is flavourful, but it lingers. Too much of it can feel heavy.

Pear texture

Pears are:

• High in water
• Juicy
• Structurally delicate

When you eat pear with blue cheese, the pear acts as a physical reset. The juice dilutes fat on your palate, refreshing your mouth and preparing it for the next bite.

This is the same reason apples work with Cheddar, or grapes with hard cheeses. Pear just happens to be particularly good at it.

Bitterness management and flavour smoothing

Blue cheese bitterness is real. It comes from mould metabolism and protein breakdown products.

Pears help manage that bitterness in two ways.

1. Sweetness suppression

Sweetness directly suppresses perceived bitterness. It doesn’t remove it, but it makes it less dominant.

2. Aromatic distraction

Fruity aromas pull your attention away from bitter notes. Your brain focuses on the pleasant signals and downplays the challenging ones.

This is why a bite of blue cheese followed by pear tastes less aggressive than the cheese alone.

Umami meets fruit: a surprisingly good match

Blue cheese is rich in glutamates and small peptides that trigger umami receptors.

Umami doesn’t need savoury partners to shine. In fact, it often works better with sweet or neutral foods.

Pear provides a clean, low-noise background that lets umami feel rounded rather than heavy. The result is savoury depth without fatigue.

Ripeness matters (a lot)

This pairing only works when both elements are at the right stage.

Overripe pear + strong blue = chaos

An overripe pear brings fermentative notes that can clash with mould aromas. Combined with a very strong blue, the pairing can tip into unpleasant territory.

Underripe pear + mild blue = disappointment

An underripe pear lacks sugar and aroma. It won’t do enough to balance the cheese.

The sweet spot is:

• Pear: ripe, juicy, aromatic
• Blue cheese: assertive but not aggressive

When both are in balance, the science lines up perfectly.

Why this pairing feels “classic”

Some pairings feel trendy. Others feel timeless.

Blue cheese and pear feel classic because they satisfy multiple sensory rules at once:

• Contrast (sweet vs salty)
• Aroma harmony (overlapping compounds)
• Texture balance (fat vs water)
• Bitterness management
• Umami support

Your brain doesn’t have to work hard to enjoy it. Everything clicks quickly and cleanly.

That ease is what makes a pairing feel obvious, even if you’ve never analysed why.

A quick note on cooking with blue cheese and pear

Heat changes the science slightly.

Cooking:

• Intensifies sweetness in pear
• Softens sharp mould notes
• Increases perceived creaminess

That’s why blue cheese and pear work so well in tarts, salads, and sauces. The same principles apply, just with rounded edges.

The takeaway

Blue cheese and pear don’t just taste good together. They make each other better.

Pear smooths, sweetens, and refreshes.
Blue cheese deepens, anchors, and satisfies.

It’s chemistry doing what chemistry does best, with a little help from your senses and a lot of help from microbial metabolism.

And honestly? That’s the kind of science I’m always happy to eat.

If you enjoyed this kind of deep-dive into cheese pairings, flavour chemistry, and the quiet brilliance of dairy science, you’ll probably like our emails. Subscribe to our email list and receive thoughtful, nerdy, occasionally opinionated cheese content in your inbox.

No spam. No fluff. Just good science and better cheese.

Jonah Kincaid

Cheese lover. Scientist. Created a website and a Youtube channel about cheese science because he could not find answers to his questions online. 

cheesescientist.com

The post Why Blue Cheese & Pear Just Work (& The Science That Explains It) appeared first on Cheese Scientist.

SEE ALSO: How a small mould creates the magic of blue cheese →

Best gateway blue cheeses for hesitant cheese lovers

When selecting the best gateway blue cheeses for beginners, I focused on a few key criteria. First, I prioritised cheeses with milder flavours and creamier textures. Additionally, I avoided the more pungent or crumbly varieties that can overwhelm new tasters.  

These cheeses offer a subtle hint of blue mould flavour without the spicy tang that often deters newcomers.  I also chose cheeses that have versatile pairing options to further mellow their taste. Finally, these cheeses offer a balanced flavour profile making them perfect for easing into the world of blue cheese. 

Without further ado, let’s delve into my list. 

1. Gorgonzola Dolce (Italy)

Gorgonzola is one of the most famous blue cheeses. And its mild, creamy version, Gorgonzola Dolce, is a fantastic starting point. Unlike stronger blue cheeses, Gorgonzola Dolce is soft and sweet, with a creamy texture that melts in your mouth.  

It pairs beautifully with honey, fruits like figs and pears, or spread on crusty bread. The blue veining in this cheese is subtle, making it a less intimidating choice for beginners. 

• Flavour profile: Mild, sweet and creamy 
• Perfect pairing: Figs, walnuts, or drizzled honey 

2. Saint Agur (France)

If you want to try a more flavourful cheese that isn’t overwhelming, Saint Agur is an excellent choice. This double-cream French blue cheese has a velvety smooth texture that is far less crumbly than stronger varieties.  

Furthermore, its taste is rich but not overly in-your-face, striking the perfect balance for those who want to ease into stronger blue cheeses. 

• Flavour profile: Buttery, mild and slightly tangy 
• Perfect pairing: A baguette, grapes or apple slices 

3. Castello Creamy Blue (Denmark) 

Castello Creamy Blue is a Danish cheese known for its soft, almost buttery texture. Unlike strong blues, this Castello cheese is mild and creamy, with a delicate blue mould flavour that isn’t overwhelming. 

It’s also less salty than many other blue cheeses, making it a good entry point for blue cheese skeptics. 

• Flavour profile: Creamy, mild, and slightly sweet 
• Perfect pairing: Crisp apples or cucumbers 

4. Cambozola (Germany)

A combination of Brie and Gorgonzola, the aptly named Cambozola blends the mild, creamy nature of Brie with the subtle tang of blue cheese. This German cheese is extremely soft and spreadable, making it a great introduction for those who may find firmer or crumbly blues off-putting.  

The hint of blue cheese flavour is mild enough for beginners but still offers a taste of what’s to come as you explore more complex blue varieties. 

• Flavour profile: Buttery, mild, and slightly tangy 
• Perfect pairing: Crackers, fresh grapes or berries 

5. Rogue Creamery Oregon Blue (USA) 

This award-winning blue cheese from Oregon is milder than many of its counterparts but still provides a satisfying depth of flavour. Oregon Blue has a smooth, creamy texture and a rich, earthy taste that’s perfect for those dipping their toes into the world of blue cheese.  

Moreover, its balanced flavour profile makes it approachable without sacrificing complexity. 

• Flavour profile: Mild, earthy and slightly nutty 
• Perfect pairing: Pear slices, walnuts, or dark chocolate 

6. Dolcelatte (Italy) 

Dolcelatte, which translates to “sweet milk” in Italian, is a mild and creamy blue cheese created for those who find Gorgonzola too intense. It has a smooth texture and a soft, delicate flavour, with just a hint of the signature blue cheese tang.  

Undoubtedly, this cheese is mild enough to appeal to almost anyone. And as an added bonus, you can use it in various dishes without overpowering other flavours. 

• Flavour profile: Mild, sweet and creamy 
• Perfect pairing: Light crackers, peaches, or a drizzle of balsamic glaze 

7. Milawa Blue (Australia)

Milawa Blue is the original Australian blue cheese. And there’s no doubt that it’s an ideal gateway blue cheese for beginners. Inspired by Gorgonzola, this cheese is hand-made using local cow’s milk and has a creamy, smooth texture with a mild blue flavour.  

Its gentle pungency and well-balanced saltiness make it a perfect cheese to introduce someone to blue varieties. Milawa Blue also has a more approachable taste compared to many European blue cheeses and is less overwhelming in both aroma and flavour. 

• Flavour profile: Mild, creamy and slightly earthy 
• Perfect pairing: Fresh pears, walnuts, or a drizzle of honey 

8. Cabrales (Spain)

Back in Europe, Spain’s Cabrales is a traditional blue cheese that offers a slightly stronger experience but is still accessible to beginners. Made from a blend of cow’s, goat’s and sheep’s milk, Cabrales is aged in natural caves, giving it a unique flavour that’s earthy, rich, and slightly tangy.  

Though it has a more intense flavour than the milder blues, its complex taste is a must-try for those who want to experiment with stronger options without jumping into the deep end of pungency. 

• Flavour profile: Tangy, earthy and slightly spicy 
• Perfect pairing: Olive oil, crusty bread, or a dry sherry 

9. Fourme d’Ambert (France) 

One of the oldest blue cheeses in France, Fourme d’Ambert is a mild and approachable cheese with a creamy texture and subtle blue veins. The flavour is delicate, with a light sweetness and a slight tang from the blue mould. 

Fourme d’Ambert is less intense than many other blues, making it a fantastic choice for someone who wants to explore blue cheese but isn’t ready for something strong. 

• Flavour profile: Mild, creamy and slightly sweet 
• Perfect pairing: Fresh figs, almonds or a drizzle of honey 

10. Bayley Hazen Blue (USA)

The final cheese on this list of gateway blue cheeses comes from the USA. Made by Jasper Hill Farm in Vermont, Bayley Hazen Blue is an American cheese with a rich, creamy texture and complex flavour. Although it has the characteristic blue cheese tang, it’s milder than some of the more pungent blues, making it an excellent gateway cheese for blue cheese novices.  

Its approachable flavour profile has won numerous awards, and its balance of creaminess and tang is perfect for those ready to take the plunge into blue cheese. 

• Flavour profile: Rich, creamy and nutty 
• Perfect pairing: Dark chocolate, roasted nuts or crusty bread 

How to enjoy blue cheese as a beginner 

When trying blue cheese for the first time, it’s important to pair it with foods that will complement and balance its flavours. Fresh fruits like pears, apples or figs can temper the tangy bite, while honey or jams add a layer of sweetness to counteract any saltiness.  

Nuts like walnuts and almonds provide a crunchy texture that contrasts the creaminess of the cheese, and a good crusty bread or cracker gives it a perfect vehicle for tasting. 

Another way to ease into blue cheese is by incorporating it into dishes where its flavour is toned down by other ingredients. Try crumbling a mild blue cheese into a salad, stirring it into pasta or risotto, or adding it to a burger or sandwich for a subtle introduction. 

Final thoughts 

For those new to blue cheese or for those who think they don’t like it, there are plenty of mild and approachable options that will ease you into this beloved and complex category of cheese. 

Whether you start with the soft creaminess of Gorgonzola Dolce or the velvety richness of Saint Agur, there’s a blue cheese out there that’s perfect for your palate. 

With the right introduction, you might just find yourself falling in love with the bold and beautiful world of blue cheese. 

Jonah Kincaid

Cheese lover. Scientist. Created a website and a Youtube channel about cheese science because he could not find answers to his questions online. 

cheesescientist.com

The post 10 Best Gateway Blue Cheeses for People New to Blue Cheese  appeared first on Cheese Scientist.

READ MORE: How to craft the perfect cheese board for every occasion → 

What is blue cheese?

Blue cheese is no ordinary cheese—it’s a flavour powerhouse that boasts a distinctive blue-green marbling. Overall, this type of cheese owes most of its organoleptic properties to the presence of mould cultures like Penicillium roqueforti.

While blue cheeses can vary, most are known for their bold, spicy flavour profile and creamy texture.

Different types of blue cheese

Before we jump into the pairings, let’s take a quick look at the different varieties of blue cheese. From the intense Roquefort to the milder Gorgonzola, each type brings its own character to the table.

Roquefort hails from France and has a spicy, salty taste. On the other hand, Gorgonzola Dolce, an Italian creation, offers a creamier and milder profile. Stilton, the English blue cheese, strikes a delightful balance between the two.

Rationale between different types of pairings

Pairing blue cheese involves a delicate dance between contrasting and complementary flavours. The intensity of the cheese, whether mild or robust, plays a crucial role in determining the ideal companion.

Light and crisp, or rich and hearty, the perfect pairing enhances the overall tasting experience. And creates a harmonious blend that dances on your taste buds.

Best food pairings for blue cheese

In this section, we’ll reveal the secrets behind the perfect food companions for blue cheese.

1. Green pears

The combination of mild blue cheeses and green pears provides a fusion of contrasting textures and complementary flavours. The creamy texture and gentle sweetness of Gorgonzola Dolce or Danablu seamlessly intertwines with the crisp and succulent bite of green pears.

In addition to this, the vibrant green of the pears stand out against the marbled blue cheese. Therefore, this pairing is not only a taste sensation but also a feast for the eyes.

2. Apricots

Stronger blue cheeses and apricots forge a heavenly alliance on the palate, creating a pairing that beautifully balances savoury and sweet elements. The spicy richness of Stilton and Roquefort finds a perfect counterpoint in the natural sweetness and slight tartness of apricots.

The pairing’s success lies in the contrast and synergy between the two ingredients. The texture of blue cheese coats the palate, while the succulent apricots refresh and cleanse.

3. Muscatels

Next, the pairing of blue cheese with muscatels marries the richness of blue cheese with the natural tartness from these delectable grapes.

Muscatels introduce a burst of sweetness that complements the bold and savoury character of blue cheese. Even though most blue cheeses work with this pairing, moderate intensity blues like Gorgonzola Piccante and Fourme d’Ambert truly excel.

Whether enjoyed on a cheese board or as a standalone treat, the blue cheese and muscatel pairing is visually enticing.

4. Raw honey

Pairing blue cheese with raw honey blends the distinct profiles of sweet and savoury in perfect harmony. The complex spiciness of Roquefort or Bleu d’Auvergne  finds its sweet counterpart in the golden nectar of raw honey.

This dynamic duo creates a flavour symphony that tantalises the taste buds with every bite. Furthermore, the contrasting textures of the crumbly cheese and smooth honey add a delightful complexity to the experience.

5. Fig jam

Continuing the trend of connecting sweet and savoury, we have blue cheese and fig jam. Indeed, the savoury and spicy notes of most blue cheeses find a perfect companion in the luscious sweetness of fig jam.

This delightful union introduces a layer of complexity to the tasting experience. Effectively, the richness of the cheese is beautifully complemented by the jam’s fruity undertones.

Whether spread on crusty bread or served alongside a cheese platter, this cheese and jam combination is also visually appealing.

6. Prosciutto

Blue cheese and prosciutto form a complementary pairing that is nothing short of extraordinary. The salty and savoury richness of prosciutto seamlessly complements the bold and tangy profile of blue cheese. Our favourite blue cheeses to use here come from Italy and include Gorgonzola Piccante and Dolcelatte.

Whether wrapped around a wedge of blue cheese or presented on a cheese and charcuterie board, the combination of prosciutto and blue cheese is a testament to the notion that complementary pairings can work in the world of gastronomy.

7. Walnuts

Our next pairing also showcases the beauty of contrasting textures and complementary flavours. The creamy and crumbly nature of blue cheese meets its match in the earthy crunch of walnuts, creating a dynamic mouthfeel that elevates the tasting experience.

The nutty undertones of walnuts seamlessly meld with the bold flavours of blue cheese, resulting in a harmonious blend that is both wholesome and satisfying.

Our favourite blue cheeses to pair with walnut include Shropshire Blue and Cashel Blue. Whether sprinkled atop a salad or enjoyed on a cheese platter, this combination is versatile and aesthetically pleasing.

8. Dark chocolate

The marriage of blue cheese with dark chocolate is a masterstroke that brings together the rich, bittersweet notes of chocolate with the robust flavours of blue cheese. This unexpected yet harmonious pairing creates a symphony of tastes that captivates the palate.

Dark chocolate’s intense cocoa profile serves as a perfect foil to the salty nuances of blue cheese. Thus, they create a sophisticated and indulgent combination. We’ve found that robust blue cheeses like Roquefort and Valdéon work best for this pairing.

Furthemore, this pairing is a visual delight, with the deep brown hues of chocolate juxtaposed against the marbled blue cheese.

9. Caramelised onion relish

Undoubtedly, the pairing of blue cheese with caramelised onion relish is a gustatory revelation. We find that the salty notes of Stilton or Maytag Blue find a perfect companion in the rich, caramelised sweetness of onion.

Whether smeared on a cracker or as a topping for grilled meats, this blue cheese and onion relish duo is a versatile choice for both casual and elevated dining occasions. Moreover, the deep golden hues of the relish look gorgeous against the marbled blue cheese.

10. Ginger cookies

Finally, blue cheese and ginger cookies will take you on a flavour adventure that intertwines the richness of the cheese with the warm, spiced notes of the cookies. The crumbly, buttery texture of ginger cookies offers a delightful contrast to the creamy texture of blue cheese. It’s a surprising and charming pairing that plays on the sweet and savoury spectrum.

We love Scandinavian blue cheeses for this pairing. So, look out for Danablu, Kraftkar or Nidelven Bla.

Conclusion

In conclusion, our exploration into the world of blue cheese pairings has been nothing short of a culinary revelation. From the classic companionship with green pears to the unexpected yet delightful unions with ginger cookies, the versatility of blue cheese has proven to be a canvas for experimentation.

The magic of these pairings lies in the artful balance of contrasting textures and complementary tastes.  Whether it’s the sweet embrace of honey or the savoury allure of prosciutto, each pairing has unfolded a new chapter in the symphony of flavours.

So, as you embark on your own gastronomic adventures, consider the myriad possibilities that await when you bring together the bold character of blue cheese with unexpected companions.

What’s your go-to food pairing for blue cheese? Leave us a comment below to join the conversation.

Jonah Kincaid

Cheese lover. Scientist. Created a website and a Youtube channel about cheese science because he could not find answers to his questions online. 

cheesescientist.com

The post 10 Best Food Pairings for Blue Cheese (Cheese Platter & Recipes)  appeared first on Cheese Scientist.

SEE ALSO: Our complete guide to which cheeses you can eat during pregnancy → 

What is blue cheese?

Blue cheese is renowned for its marbled appearance and bold flavour. Originating from various regions, including France, Italy and England, each type of blue cheese carries a unique tradition and craftsmanship.

What distinguishes blue cheese is the deliberate introduction of Penicillium mould, creating its characteristic blue or green veins. This mould not only contributes to its distinctive appearance but also enhances its flavour profile. The cheese’s taste ranges from mildly savoury to intensely pungent. Moreover, they often have a creamy, crumbly texture that is a result of the mould breaking down fats and proteins.

This combination of flavours and textures allows for a versatile culinary experience. As a result, blue cheese is a favourite ingredient in salads, sauces, burgers and desserts.

Blue cheeses from around the world are a testament to diverse culinary traditions, each offering a unique flavour profile shaped by regional craftsmanship. France’s Roquefort, Italy’s Gorgonzola, England’s Stilton, Spain’s Cabrales and the USA’s Rogue River Blue exemplify the richness of global blue cheese varieties.

Risks associated with blue cheese during pregnancy

Pregnancy is a time when expectant mothers meticulously consider every aspect of their diet to ensure the well-being of both themselves and their developing baby. While many foods are safe and nutritious, some, like blue cheese, pose specific risks during pregnancy.

The primary concern with blue cheese, as with other high moisture cheeses, revolves around the potential presence of Listeria monocytogenes, a bacterium that can lead to listeriosis.

What is Listeriosis?

Listeria monocytogenes, a bacterium found in contaminated food and soil, poses a significant risk, especially to pregnant women. Unlike many other bacteria, Listeria can thrive at refrigeration temperatures, making it a formidable adversary.

While healthy individuals might experience only mild symptoms, for pregnant women, the consequences can be severe. Listeriosis, the infection caused by Listeria, can lead to complications such as miscarriage, stillbirth, premature delivery or life-threatening infections in newborns.

Due to the changes in the immune system during pregnancy, expectant mothers are more susceptible to Listeria infections, making it crucial to adopt strict food safety practices.

You can read more about this bacterium and the types of food it often contaminates in our dedicated post here.

Why is blue cheese high risk for pregnant women?

Unfortunately, the moisture content and low acidity in blue cheese makes it an ideal environment for Listeria to thrive. Furthermore, the porous nature of these cheeses allows bacteria to penetrate deeper, making thorough cleaning difficult.

Additionally, the ageing process of blue cheese often involves mould cultivation, introducing another layer of potential contamination.

Even though pasteurisation significantly reduces the risk of Listeria, some blue cheese are made from unpasteurised milk, amplifying the risk.

Are there safer alternatives?

To mitigate these risks, it’s crucial for expectant mothers to opt for safer cheese choices. Hard cheeses, such as Cheddar, Manchego or Gouda, are generally considered safe during pregnancy as they undergo a longer ageing process. This leads to a lower moisture content which reduces the risk of bacterial contamination.

Hence, those pressed cheeses present a better choice for your cheese boards and snacks.

How can you make blue cheese safe?

This is where it gets really interesting. Thoroughly cooking any type of cheese until steaming hot will actually destroy any harmful pathogens that may be present in it. Indeed, most harmful bacteria like Listeria do not survive temperatures above 75°C/165°F.

This process not only eliminates the risk of listeriosis but also enhances the overall safety of the dish in which the cooked blue cheese is used. It is essential, however, to ensure that the cheese is uniformly heated to the recommended temperature throughout the cooking process to guarantee the destruction of any potential bacteria.

What does all this mean? Well, if you are desperately missing your favourite blue cheese, you can actually cook them to render them safer. Cheeses in this category include Gorgonzola, Stilton and even unpasteurised ones such as Roquefort.

Safe blue cheese recipes for pregnant women

For expectant mothers, cooked blue cheese offers a world of safe culinary possibilities. Here are three delectable recipes designed with both taste and safety in mind:

1. Stilton and Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breast: In this recipe, boneless, skinless chicken breasts are transformed into a gourmet delight. The chicken is carefully stuffed with a mixture of fresh spinach leaves and crumbled Stilton. The result is a succulent and flavourful dish that’s both satisfying and safe for pregnancy.
2. Creamy Gorgonzola Dolce Pasta with Caramelised Onions: In this recipe, caramelised onions lend a sweet depth of flavour, perfectly complementing the richness of the blue cheese. The Gorgonzola Dolce is cooked into a velvety sauce, which coats the pasta generously. Topped with a sprinkle of fresh chives and a dash of black pepper, this pasta dish is a symphony of flavours, making every bite a delightful experience.
3. Roquefort and Pear Grilled Sandwich: For a quick and satisfying meal, this grilled sandwich recipe combines the sweetness of ripe pears with the savoury notes of Roquefort. Thinly sliced pears are layered with crumbled Roquefort between whole grain bread slices, creating a harmonious balance of flavours. Grilled to perfection, the sandwich offers a crispy exterior and a gooey, melted centre.

These recipes not only cater to the culinary cravings of expectant mothers but also prioritize their safety. By ensuring thorough cooking, these dishes allow pregnant women to indulge in the delightful world of flavours while ensuring a healthy and worry-free dining experience.

Conclusion

In the intricate mosaic of pregnancy, every food choice carries significant weight. The question, “Can You Eat Blue Cheese While Pregnant?” highlights the careful balance between cravings and concerns, flavour and safety.

Throughout this exploration, we’ve delved into the complexities of blue cheese consumption during pregnancy, uncovering the risks associated with Listeria contamination and the crucial importance of informed decision-making.

Understanding the potential dangers of Listeria and the specific vulnerabilities of pregnancy empowers expectant mothers to navigate their culinary choices wisely. While the allure of blue cheese may be enticing, opting for cooked variations ensures a delightful and secure gastronomic experience.

By embracing dishes like the Stilton and Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breast or Roquefort and Pear Grilled Sandwich, pregnant women can relish the exquisite taste of blue cheese without compromising their health or the well-being of their unborn child.

References

Safety in Pregnancy

All the advice relating to what cheeses you can eat during pregnancy in this article is based on the recommendations by health authorities in Australia, the UK and the USA. If you are unsure about what you can or cannot eat, please consult your doctor.   

Australia – FSANZ, United Kingdom – NHS and United Sates of America – FDA 

Nutritional content

The nutritional content of cheese in our table comes from the USDA Food Data Central Repository and cheese manufacturers. We realise that there can be variations between different brands and producers. Hence, the numbers we have used are averages.   

Fat

Our fat RDI data comes from Cleveland Clinic’s Healthy Fat Intake resource.   

Type of fat in cheese as per Harvard T.H. Chan’s The Nutrition Source.   

Protein

Our protein RDI data comes from Harvard Medical School’s Harvard Health Publishing.   

Sabine Lefèvre

Sabine is the creative force behind Cheese Scientist. She is a sustainable living advocate, a climate change protestor and is pro-choice. And, most relevantly, she is also a lactose intolerant cheese lover.

The post Can You Eat Blue Cheese While Pregnant? (FSANZ, FDA & NHS) appeared first on Cheese Scientist.

SEE ALSO: The reason why Stilton is not made with raw milk anymore →

What Shropshire Blue and Stilton have in common

Considering how visually similar the two cheeses are, it is not surprising to find that the recipes have a lot in common. Both cheeses are made using pasteurised cow’s milk and the same cheese starter cultures.

Furthermore, the signature blue veins are created by the mould Penicillium roqueforti which is added to the milk during production. 

Moreover, both cheeses are made in a cylindrical shape and form a rugged natural rind during ageing. As a matter of fact, you would be hard pressed to find any observable difference between the two cheeses until you cut them open to expose the paste. 

Now that we’ve covered their similarities, let’s have a look at the differences between Shropshire Blue and Stilton. 

Origin

Stilton finds its origins in Nottinghamshire in the early 1910’s. Currently, the Stilton name is protected by a PDO which limits its production to the three counties of Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire and Derbyshire. You can read more about the dairies that make Stilton by clicking here. 

In many ways, Shropshire Blue is a misnamed cheese. Indeed, its roots can be found in Inverness, Scotland rather than the English county of Shropshire. There are many claims to its invention and the most popular story is that of Andy Williamson. Back in the day, Andy was a trained Stilton make in Somerset.

After moving to Scotland, he decided to make a new cheese that was inspired by Stilton but also had some characteristics of another famous British territorial cheese, Cheshire. The ingredient he borrowed from the traditional Cheshire recipe was annatto.  

Appearance

On the outside, you will really struggle to tell these two blue cheeses apart. This is due to the rugged natural rind that they both share. However, once you cut into the wheel of cheese, you will discover a paste that varies distinctly between Shropshire Blue and Stilton. 

Indeed, Shropshire Blue has got a characteristic bright orange paste that is peppered with greyish-blue veins. As we mentioned above, the natural red dye annatto is the reason for this colour.

Despite popular belief, annatto does not impact the flavour of this cheese in any way. But we’ll get back to the flavour differences between the two cheeses a bit later. 

Rennet

Rennet is an essential ingredient in cheesemaking. Indeed, this enzyme plays a major role in coagulating milk and transforming it into cheese. There are three main types of rennet used in cheesemaking: animal, vegetable and microbial.

You can take a deeper dive into the world of rennet by clicking here. 

Traditional Stilton makers use animal rennet to coagulate their milk. On the other hand, Shropshire Blue is made using vegetable rennet. As a result, the latter is a vegetarian-friendly cheese. As we will discuss later, the choice of rennet also has a subtle impact on the flavour of the cheese. 

Maturation

Even though the two cheeses look very similar on the outside, they are actually aged for different periods of time. Cheesemakers in Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire and Derbyshire start selling their Blue Stilton after nine weeks of maturation. And some wheels are aged even further up to 12 weeks.

On the other hand, Shropshire Blue is a little bit younger. Most wheels of this annatto-coloured blue cheese will hit retailers between six to eight weeks after production. Due to this difference in age, your palate will notice subtle variations in texture between the two cheeses. And this gets us to our next point. 

Texture & Flavour

As we have already mentioned, the differences in the organoleptic properties of the two cheeses are very subtle. Because it is slightly younger, Shropshire Blue has a marginally softer and creamier texture.

Moreover, its flavour is a little milder than Stilton with a delicate sweetness. Having said that, you can still expect the rich and slightly spicy notes that are synonymous with Stilton.

Pairings

In general, blue cheeses pair well with honey and pear. And these two stellar British blues are no exception. However, when it comes to beverages, you will want to pair Shropshire Blue and Stilton slightly differently. 

The traditional pairing with Stilton is dessert wines such as Port. Due to its robust savoury and spicy flavour, Stilton contrasts beautifully with the rich sweetness of Port. Some other popular pairings are with Dark Ale, Stout and a smoky Scotch Whisky. 

Since Shropshire Blue is a little milder and creamier, you will want to pair it with a different type of beverage. Indeed, this blue will match beautifully with a glass of Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon or even a sweet Riesling. 

Shropshire Blue or Stilton?

So, now that you know the differences between Shropshire Blue and Stilton, drop me a comment with your favourite blue.

For me, it really depends on the mood I find myself in. If I’m looking for something a bit spicy that will knock my socks off, I choose Stilton. But if I’m feeling a little bit mellow, I grab the Shropshire Blue. 

Jonah Kincaid

Cheese lover. Scientist. Created a website and a Youtube channel about cheese science because he could not find answers to his questions online. 

cheesescientist.com

The post Shropshire Blue vs Stilton: Origin, Production & Taste  appeared first on Cheese Scientist.

SEE ALSO: Why Stilton is no longer made with raw milk → 

What is Stilton?

Stilton is a traditional blue cheese that has been made in the midlands of England since 1913. Initially, producers used local raw cow’s milk to make this medium strength blue cheese. But after a health scare in the late 1980’s, they adapted their procedures to use pasteurised milk instead.

Moreover, the Stilton PDO now restricts the recipe to only pasteurised milk. 

Blue vs White Stilton

The PDO currently protects two versions of Stilton, the famous blue and also a lesser-known white version. As a matter of fact, both cheeses are made using the same recipe.

But with the white version, Penicillium roqueforti is not introduced during the production and the wheels are not pierced.  

As a result, White Stilton does not have any blue veins or pockets. Furthermore, its texture is crumblier than the blue and its flavour quite sour. Unsurprisingly, White Stilton lacks the strong aroma and spicy flavour that are typical of the blue mould version.

Because of this, cheesemakers often flavour it with fruits such as pear, apple and cranberries. 

Who makes Stilton?

As of 2022, there are six dairies in Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Leicestershire that are authorised to produce Blue Stilton. And one in Nottinghamshire (Shirevale) that only makes White Stilton. Let’s have a look at them.

Colston Bassett Dairy Limited (Nottinghamshire)

Based in Nottinghamshire, Colston Bassett Dairy is the home of traditional Stilton and Shropshire Blue cheeses. The dairy was first established as a farming co-operative in 1913 and is still in operation to this day. 

Cropwell Bishop Creamery (Nottinghamshire)

Cropwell Bishop is also based in Nottinghamshire and their range includes Blue Stilton, White Stilton, Blue Shropshire and Potted Stilton. The creamery is owned and operated by Robin Skailes, a third-generation cheesemaker.

Cropwell Bishop have been making Blue Stilton since 1948 when they acquired a Stilton producer in Melton Mowbray. 

Hartington Creamery (Derbyshire)

Next, we have Hartington Creamery, the only Stilton producer that is currently based in Derbyshire. The company’s history dates back to the year 1900 but their original factory closed down in 2009.

On the 17th of October 2012, Hartington Creamery Limited was revived and made its first cheese at the historic Pikehall Farm in the Derbyshire Dales. Their current range includes Blue Stilton, White Stilton and Shropshire Blue. 

Long Clawson Dairy (Leicestershire)

Long Clawson Dairy has been making English cheese since 1911 in Leicestershire. Their original dairy was located on Mount Pleasant Farm in historic Melton Mowbray and was operated by Thomas Hoe Stevenson and his two sisters.

The dairy gets its name from the small village of Long Clawson and remains a farming co-operative to this day. Presently, they make a range of cheeses including Blue Stilton, White Stilton, Blue Shropshire and Rutland Red. 

Tuxford & Tebbutt Creamery (Leicestershire)

With a history dating to the 1780’s, Tuxford & Tebbutt started up as farmhouse cheesemakers. Like Long Clawson, they are based in Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire. Currently, the company is owned by the farmer-owned dairy co-operative Arla Foods.

And they produce a range of British territorial cheeses such as Stilton, Sage Derby and Leicester Gold. 

Websters of Saxelbye Dairy (Leicestershire)

Websters Dairy is the third Stilton maker based in Leicestershire. The small dairy is actually located in Saxelbye, just out of Melton Mowbray. Without a doubt, this 150-year-old dairy is the smallest of the six Stilton producers.

Blue Stilton is the only cheese Margaret and Hellen Callow make and they have mastered the art of producing and maturing this blue. 

Conclusion

Stilton is the undisputed King of Cheeses in the United Kingdom. The fact that it has earned this title ahead of the world’s most popular cheese, Cheddar, tells you how significant and widely adored this blue cheese is.  

While Colston Bassett and Cropwell Bishop Stilton are widely available internationally, some of the other brands can be more difficult to source. Have you had the pleasure of eating all of them? Let me which one is your favourite in the comments. 

Jonah Kincaid

Cheese lover. Scientist. Created a website and a Youtube channel about cheese science because he could not find answers to his questions online. 

cheesescientist.com

The post Where Does Blue Stilton Come From?  appeared first on Cheese Scientist.

SEE ALSO: The 32 different types of technologies used to make cheese around the world →

The history of blue cheese

The most famous blue cheeses worldwide are, in the order of their first recorded reference, Gorgonzola (879), Roquefort (1070), Stilton (1785) and Danablu (1870s). However, it is believed that their production dates back much further. 

For each of those historic cheeses, the specific cheesemaking recipes have been passed on from one generation to the next. As a matter of fact, all four examples above are now protected by PDO, PGI or AOP stamp.

Penicillium roqueforti – The blue mould

While the actual manufacturing process varies extensively from one blue cheese to another, all of them involve the use of a well-known mould, Penicillium roqueforti. During cheesemaking, cheesemakers either add P. roqueforti spores directly to milk or spray it on the curd.

In some cases, the spores are actually present in the ripening environment and naturally colonise cheese. Moreover, the presence and growth of this mould largely contributes to the appearance, aroma and flavour of blue cheeses. We’ll dig much deeper into this impact a bit later. 

The different types of P. roqueforti

Within the cheesemaking and turophile world, you will often hear about different types of Penicillium. For example, you might read that Penicillium roqueforti is used to make Roquefort and that Penicillium glaucum is used in Gorgonzola.

From a taxonomical point of view, microbiologists classify P. roqueforti as a single species. Having said that, there are various technological subspecies within the species such as P.glaucum, P. stilton or P. gorgonzolae.

As a matter of fact, P. roqueforti is incredibly diverse and is not exclusively found in dairy environments. Indeed, it also occurs in natural environments (forest soil and wood), as well as in silage. In addition to this, it is a common spoilage agent in refrigerated stored foods, meats or wheat products. This is due to its ability to grow under harsh conditions such as low temperatures and low oxygen levels.

The importance of the open texture in blue cheeses

Starters containing high numbers of citrate-utilising Lc. lactis and Leuconostoc spp. are normally used in the manufacture of blue cheese. This is because they produce an open-textured curd through the production of carbon dioxide from citrate. Consequently, this helps the development of P. roqueforti. 

Penicillium roqueforti grows in the air spaces between the incompletely fused curd particles. And it is responsible for the blue veins and pockets that appear throughout blue cheese’s paste. Moulds are obligate aerobes and, therefore, require oxygen for growth.

However, P. roqueforti  thrives at much lower oxygen levels than other moulds. For this reason, blue cheeses are generally pierced after brining to allow a small amount of oxygen into the centre of the cheese. Subsequently, the oxygen promotes mould development within the paste.   

How blue cheese turns blue

During ripening, blue cheese develops the distinctive greenish blue coloured veins characteristic of P. roqueforti spore. The reason why the spores and veins are blue is because of melanin production during this phase of the cheese’s life. The pigmentation of the melanin differs from one technological subspecies of Penicillium to another.  

As a result, the mould colour can vary from shades of white, green, blue or brown. And that is the reason why you tend to find deep blue veins in French cheeses like Roquefort. But a greener shade of veins and pockets in the Italian blue, Gorgonzola. This particular process takes approximately 2-3 weeks during the early stages of maturation and it also plays an important role of forming the aroma and flavour of the cheese. 

Why does blue cheese smell and taste the way it does

In a 1924 study, Stärkle attributed the characteristic aroma and flavour of Roquefort to a group of aromatic compounds called methyl ketones. More specifically, he found that the cheese displayed the signature odour of two molecules: heptan-2-one (banana/perfumy) and nonan-2-one (earthy). So, where do those compounds come from? 

Well, Penicillium roqueforti is quite the ravenous mould. In cheese, it feeds on both proteins and fats and the latter are most relevant here. Indeed, the mould contributes to the lipolysis (the metabolism of fats) of triglycerides to form a specific fatty acid called octanoic acid (also known as caprylic acid).

In the presence of oxygen, the mould further breaks down octanoic acid into a range of compounds: heptan-2-one, nonan-2-one, butyric acid and caproic acid. While the first two contribute mostly to the aroma, all four compounds are responsible for the strong, piquant flavour we associate with blue cheese. 

Are yeasts present in blue cheese?

Even though they are not present in the starter cultures, yeasts can play an important role in the development of certain blue cheeses. Depending upon the species of these microorganisms, yeasts can have a negative impact on cheese quality via metabolites that can change the flavour, texture, and appearance of blue cheeses.  

However, some yeasts contribute positively to the flavour of cheese. For example, in the Spanish blue Cabrales, yeasts occur spontaneously in the cheese and develop during the manufacturing and maturation stages. There are up to eight different yeasts that have been detected in this cheese and they combine with the Penicillium roqueforti and methyl ketones to produce a spectacular aroma and flavour profile. 

Most popular blue cheeses around the world

Roquefort

Roquefort is a traditional French blue cheese made in the Aveyron department. Undoubtedly, it is one of the world’s best-known cheeses and dates back to at least the 15th century. It bears an AOP stamp which protects its origin and production. 

The AOP dictates that this blue cheese can only be made in the Aveyron department. Furthermore, the wheels have to be matured in the natural Combalou caves of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon. Also, the cheesemakers have to exclusively use the unskimmed raw milk of Lacaune ewes. 

Stilton

Stilton is a traditional blue cheese that has been made in the midlands of England since 1913. Initially, Stilton makers used local raw cow’s milk to make this medium strength blue cheese. But after a health scare in the late 1980’s, they adapted their procedures to use pasteurised milk instead. Moreover, the Stilton PDO now restricts the recipe to only pasteurised milk. 

Gorgonzola

Gorgonzola is an Italian blue cheese that finds its roots in the small Italian town of Gorgonzola. Actually, this quaint township is located in the larger Milan metropolitan region.

Without a doubt, Gorgonzola is one of the most famous blue cheeses from anywhere in the world. Both the younger, sweet version (Dolce) or the more mature, spicier one (Piccante) are amazing gateway blue cheeses for the uninitiated.

Queso de Valdeón

Meet Queso de Valdeón, a Spanish blue cheese made all year round with cow’s and goat’s milk in the Picos de Europa mountains. Cheese production in the Valdeón valley dates back to pre-Roman times, and goat milk was used as a raw material in this period. 

This robust Spanish blue cheese is wrapped in plageru (sycamore) leaves and has an aggressive spattering of blue veins. Overall, its flavour is intensely blue, with slightly lactic and savoury notes that become more pronounced as the cheese matures. 

Roque River Blue

Rogue River Blue is a seasonal cheese made by Rogue Creamery in Oregon, USA. This truly original blue cheese was the first American cheese to be named World Champion Cheese at the World Cheese Awards in Italy in October 2019.

Conclusion: It takes mould and oxygen to make blue cheese

So now you know that the reason why blue cheese is blue is the presence of a very specific mould. Moreover, Penicillium roqueforti influences more than just the appearance of blue cheese. Indeed, it plays an important role in how the cheese smells and tastes. 

How do you feel about blue cheese? Are you in love with the aroma and taste like I am? Let me know in the comments. 

Jonah Kincaid

Cheese lover. Scientist. Created a website and a Youtube channel about cheese science because he could not find answers to his questions online. 

cheesescientist.com

The post Blue Cheese 101: History, Production & Famous Examples appeared first on Cheese Scientist.