Blue Cheese - Cheese For cutting-edge flavors

Blue Cheese, it has to be said, is a journey of discovery for many. Their uniqueness sets them apart as a food variety by itself, than being clubbed under the all-inclusive category of cheeses. This is because unlike other cheese types, the blue-veined cheese differ from one and other in a variety of flavors, and have a  ‘personality’ of their own. For many cheese fans the distinctive look of the cheese - the blue-veins running right through the cheese, making for stunning visual. It remains a food type to be discovered for many due to the unique aroma most Blue Cheese have.

History has several interesting stories of this different looking cheese type. It is believed that this type of cheese began to be formed due to the accident discovery made in Rouqueforti, France.

Centuries, roughly 89.AD, when natural made cheese were stored in caves an interesting biochemical evolution happened leading to the introduction of a brand new variety of cheese.

The moisture-free caves and the cooler temperatures, were ideal for the development of a harmless mold or bacteria called as Pencillium Roqueforti. This variety of bacteria may have developed due to presence of certain minerals or metals such as copper in the environment. However, the result of the exposure to such metal-bases was the development of a bacterium strain which caused the blue-veins.

Soon the distinctive-looking and tasting cheese, which also has a rather strong moldy aroma, began to be coveted by gourmets. Soon similar blue-veined cheese began to be made in Gorgonzola in Italy and Stilton in England.

After years of the first of the blue cheese styles dominating the markets, new age synthetic techniques are used to mass produce the blue-vein variety of cheese. Soon, the most famous of the latter Blue Cheese variety makers are the Danes. Their Danablu blue cheese hold their own in the most exotic of cheese palettes and are a must have on every cheese collectors shelves.

Blue cheeses are today produced by most local cheese makers. Every region has its own traditional way of making it. But worldwide the most coveted of the blue cheese variety are those which are made using the traditional European milk and techniques.  

Variation in terms of the milk used the sole ingredient in making the cheese results in change in texture as well as taste. Secondly, the phase of introduction of the bacteria, which cause the blue veins also, has an impact in the way the final product appears. As per European practices, the copper rod or wires are used to puncture curds that are draining. The wires would interact with highly interacting curd-substance resulting in the formation of the bacteria, which eventually turn a blue color. However, the time of introduction of the bacteria holds a key to the final taste, texture and body, besides the flavor of this much talked about blue cheese type. Therefore, blue cheeses are a food variety by themselves and are typically standalone servings which are complemented by a wild wine.