One of the world’s most famous blue cheeses owes its beginnings to a lusty shepherd. If legend is to be believed, Roquefort was created by sheer chance when a young shepherd found a cool cave in which to consume his supper of bread and fresh sheep’s milk cheese. Before he could eat his humble meal a beautiful girl came along. Forgetting his hunger he followed her. Several weeks later he returned to the cave where he found his left over meal of bread and cheese covered with a blue green veined mould. Sheer hunger forced him to eat the meal. To his delight it tasted so good, that, from then on he left his cheese in the cave for a period of time before eating it. Since then Roquefort has been matured in the caves and grottos of the village of Roquefort and its surrounding areas.

Blue cheeses range from the traditional hard varieties to the very soft bluebries. All are made using various strains of the Penicillium mould (the same mould that grows on oranges and breads when exposed to the natural atmosphere.).

Traditionally, blue cheeses were made by adding penicillium mould to the milk, the cheese was formed into shape and brined and then pierced with copper wires allowing the air into the body of the cheese enabling the mould to grow. Today, stainless steel spikes are used inpreference to the copper ones.

The blue mould is one of the most prolific moulds and quite easily migrates to other cheeses. For this reason blue mould cheeses are always produced in caves or special areas where non-blue mould cheeses are not made. Sometimes a blue cheese is actually white when opened with no or very little blue mould apparent. On exposure to the air the blue mould develops rapidly and enhances the flavour.

Roquefort is one of the most famous blue cheeses. Made from unpastuerised sheep’s milk it is easily recognized by the white open texture and its gutsy, salty flavour. Traditionally the mould was grown on a special type of ryebread, carefully dried, ground to a powder and mixed with the curd. Today the mould is more likely to be added as a liquid culture. Roquefort matches well with any good solid red wine, port or muscat.