Paul Gayler

Blue Cheeses

Appears in
A Passion for Cheese
A Passion for Cheese

By Paul Gayler

Published 1997

  • About
Blue cheeses acquire their characteristic veining from mould spores. These may be introduced to the milk before it is soured and then encouraged to develop during ripening, when the cheese is pierced with fine needles. This allows the air in so the mould can spread.

The most noble blue cheese must surely be Roquefort. Some 2,000 years ago it acquired its veining from the natural Pénicillium glaucum, which thrived in the limestone caves of the Combalou plateau in France. In 1411 Charles VI bestowed a royal charter upon these caves, thereby initiating the Roquefort appellation, or quality control, which still exists today. Unusually for a blue cheese, Roquefort is made with sheep’s milk, which is partly responsible for its pungent flavour. In cookery, its assertiveness works wonderfully well with other robust ingredients.