Blue Cheese

Blue Cheese is the kind of cheese that has been prepared by use of Penicillium mold cultures, and hence has streaks or spots of blue- green or blue-gray color. Blue cheese is moist, creamy, soft and dense in texture, and has a pungent odor and a strong and tangy flavor. Some famous blue cheeses are Roquefort, Stilton and Gorgonzola. It is also called ‘blue cheese’.

Method of Preparation: To prepare blue cheese, the milk (cow’s, sheep’s or goat’s) is first mixed with rennet and allowed to curdle. The penicillium mold is then mixed in the curds and allowed to spread evenly, after which the curds are pressed to make cheese. They are allowed to sit for some days and then holed to aerate the cheese. The cheese thus prepared is allowed to age for 3 to 6 months or more. The blue cheese thus prepared is packaged for sale. It should be stored well wrapped at a cool temperature.

History of Blue Cheese
Gorgonzola is a variety that was invented in 879 AD, while Roquefort was invented in 1070 AD. Stilton is a new addition to blue cheese category, and was created in the 18th century. Blue cheeses are said to have been discovered accidentally amongst other cheeses that were kept aside to age.

Culinary Uses of Blue Cheeses
Blue cheeses can be consumed on their own or used as an ingredient in various blue cheese recipes. It pairs well with blue cheese recipes with strong flavor, both dishes and drinks, by virtue of its own strong and tangy taste. Here are some examples of its culinary uses-

As a dressing for various blue cheese recipes
Blue cheeses are often crumbled into salads
Crumbled or melted on various dishes like roasted lamb, hamburgers, grilled beef steaks, etc.
As a condiment for certain variants of pasta
For flavoring other cheeses

Popular Blue Cheese Recipes
Here is a list of some popular blue cheese recipes. These are other blue cheese recipes use specific types of the cheese.
§ Kansas City Strip or New York City Strip: Grilled beef steaks containing short loin portion, which is moderately tender meat. Blue cheese is crumbled or melted on the dish.
§ Buffalo wings: A chicken wing section fried and coated in sauce. It is dressed with blue cheese before serving.
§ Omelettes: These blue cheese recipes contain filling of cheese in them.
§ Martini: Martini is often garnished with green olives stuffed with this type of cheese
§ Oatcake: A cracker or pancake made from oatmeal, it contains cheese filling.

Types of Blue Cheeses
Gorgonzola: A blue cheese from Italy, made of cow’s milk
Stilton: English cheese made of sheep or cow’s milk
Roquefort: Green in color, this is a national treasure of France.
Danablu: A popular variant from Denmark
Benedictine Bleu: A blue cheese from Canada, popular since 1943.
Cabrales: It is made from a combination of cow’s, sheep’s and goat’s milk, and is a famous variety of blue cheese.

Nutritive Value of Blue Cheese
Blue cheese has a number of health benefits. The Penicillium mold in it is actually related to the antibiotic penicillin, and by virtue of the same it helps in fighting harmful bacteria in the body.

It is rich in iron, phosphorus, calcium and vitamin A and B, which are essential for a healthy body.

Blue cheeses help in prevention of a number of diseases like breast cancer. Calcium present in it aids bone and dental health, and at the same time helps in blood clotting and breast cancer. It also helps in regulating the blood pressure of the body.

It helps in prevention of arthritis in persons who experience the condition due to too much of meat, seafood or alcohol consumption.  The calcium in blue cheeses also helps in controlling body fat.

Blue cheese also prevents dental problems by neutralizing the acid content in the mouth, that are responsible for plaque and unhealthy teeth.

Related Cheese Types

Fresh and Mild Cheese: Lightly flavored and unripened cheese

 
Stinky Cheese: Extremely strong and pungent cheese

 
Soft Cheese: Soft in texture, this cheese is aged for a shorter period of time

 
Hard Cheese: This type of cheese is hard in texture and aged for longer periods.

Blue Cheese Trivia

• Pink, yellow, brown and red spots on blue cheese indicate that the cheese has not been stored properly, and these portions of the cheese are preferably cut off and discarded.
• Some blue cheeses have an ‘Appellation of Controlled Origin’, meaning they can only be manufactured in a specific region and by a specific method. Roquefort and Gorgonzola are such cheese types.