Probably, people would never have guessed to eat moldy cheeses. 7000 years ago, cheese was eaten only clean, and if even a hint of fungal plaque appeared on the product, it was immediately thrown away.
According to legend, cheese with a noble blue mold appeared completely by accident. In France, in the town of Roquefort, a couple of thousand years ago, a French shepherd forgot his standard snack in a lime cave – water, bread and cheese. And a month later, he found the loss, and either somehow the circumstances were such that, apart from this food, he had nothing and had to be content with what he had out of hunger, or the cheese was so appetizing that the shepherd decided to satisfy his taste buds with new taste – the cheese was eaten despite the fact that it was covered with bluish mold. The shepherd liked the taste of the product – salty and spicy. The inhabitants of this village shared their delight with the shepherd and began to deliberately put cheeses and bread in the caves. This is how the first blue cheese appeared – Roquefort: fragrant, with a nutty flavor. Today it is the most famous cheese in the world.
Of course, over time, this legend was overgrown with various details, facts were distorted. The first mention of penicillin cheese comes from the Roman historian Pliny, who lived in 79 AD. And in the XNUMXth century the cheese-makers of Roquefort received permission from the reigning monarch to monopolize the production of blue cheeses under the world-famous Roquefort brand.
Today it is not the only blue cheese that is produced in France, and not only there – Italian Gorgonzola, English Stilton, for example. Relatively recently, the blue mold Penicillium roqueforti was discovered – it officially began to be eaten, but in only a few products, including cheese.
Some types of blue cheese
Roquefort. This cheese is made from sheep’s milk and is the most famous blue cheese in the world. Roquefort matures for 3 months in special limestone caves, where the desired microclimate is set: humidity level and temperature. Rye bread is used to form mold. In order for mold to appear inside the cheese, it is pierced with needles – this is how blue veins of mold are obtained. Roquefort has a pungent and very spicy taste.
Gorgonzola. This is an Italian cheese made from cow’s milk. The technology of its preparation is similar to Roquefort, only it matures longer – about 4 months. It also has a pungent and savory taste.
Dorblyu. The cheese is originally from Germany, it is also made from cow’s milk. Unlike its predecessors, it has a milder taste, and the recipe for this cheese was created at the beginning of the 20th century and is kept in the strictest confidence to this day.
Stilton. This cheese from England is made from cow’s milk and is aged for about 9 weeks. Stilton is a cheaper alternative to Dorblue cheese.
Danablu. This is a Danish cheese, still a relatively young recipe. It was created as a cheaper replacement for Roquefort. The cheese matures within 3 months and has a more salty taste.
What to use with?
Blue cheese has a bright spicy taste and therefore is served with the same strong spirits – tart wines. Cheese with honey and fruit is very tasty, the sweetness sets off the salinity and pungency of the cheese.
In England, blue cheese is usually served with celery and Port, as well as soups based on this delicacy. In Denmark, they eat this cheese with bread and biscuits, and the cheese itself is added to risottos, sauces, pizza and polenta. In many countries, blue cheese is the main ingredient in salads and snacks.
Benefit and harm
In small quantities, blue cheese is good for health – it contains a record amount of calcium, vitamins, phosphorus, and protein. However, a single dose of penicillin cheese for a person is 50 grams. The antibiotic that the fungus produces can disrupt the intestinal microflora. By the way, such cheese is prohibited for people with gastrointestinal diseases. Also, mold is a fairly strong allergen, so cheese should not be eaten by children, pregnant and lactating mothers. Blue cheese is a high-calorie food.