Written by Asinus Asinum Fricat on May 17, 2008 – 4:40 am -
Another cheese I can’t live without! My idea of debauchery is a large chunk of this cheese, a good, crusty country bread, and an old tawny port.
The story behind the origins of Roquefort blue cheese has been romanticized in a very old legend of the land. The legend begins with a young shepherd who was minding his flock of sheep in the hills of Roquefort when he suddenly sighted a beautiful maiden in the distance (there’s always a maiden somewhere!) Determined to find her, the shepherd left his dog to guard the sheep and hastily placed his lunch – bread and ewe’s milk curds – in the nearby caves to keep cool.
The shepherd was away for days, looking for his maiden. Unfortunately, he never found her. Dejected, the shepherd returned to his sheep, tired and hungry. When he took his lunch out of the caves, he found that the bread and milk curds were moldy. His hesitation was brief due to his mounting hunger. With some trepidation, the shepherd took a bite and was pleasantly surprised to find that his moldy lunch tasted quite delicious! Thus, the Roquefort was born.
The production of Roquefort blue cheese involves a series of processes, beginning with the delivery of Lacaune ewe milk to the dairy. Once there, the milk goes through some chemical and bacteriological tests to ensure that only the highest quality milk is used to make Roquefort. After these tests, the milk is heated to between 82.4°F and 93.2°F (28°C and 34°C) and placed into large vats.
Spores of the fungus Penicillium roqueforti are then added to these vats, allowing the milk to ferment into curds. Once the curds are ready, they are cut into cubes and transferred into cheese molds, where they are drained and salted into cheese loaves. The cheese loaves remain at the dairy for another ten days before being relocated to the Combalou caves for natural ripening.
Before entering the damp caves, the cheese loaves are pierced through about 40 times. These small holes allow air in and encourage the growth of the mold fungus. The cheese loaves are left exposed for two to three weeks to ensure that enough mold has grown into the cheese. Once there is sufficient Penicillium roqueforti in the cheese, the loaves are wrapped up and left to mature under lower temperatures. Three to ten months later, the cheese loaves leave the caves as Roquefort blue cheese. Tomorrow I’ll write a recipe involving Roquefort cheese, a delight for vegetarians.
Tags:
Cantal Region,
Cheese,
France,
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Food |
Okay, so I misspoke — brie isn’t my favorite cheese - roquefort is.
I love roquefort with a bite of something sweet. Even a big glass of homemade lemonade with roquefort does the trick.
But the perfect pairing in my mind is roquefort and a lovely pair. Although there used to be some yummy English biscuits with a sweet edge to them that I loved to spread it on. I could go through a pound of roquefort and a box of those biscuits in an afternoon! Oh, that was good!
Tomorrow you will say the same thing: it’s going to be about goat cheese, the supreme cheese of all! Nothing in the world can beat “crotins de chevre” from Corsica, a rock hard goat cheese which you grate over either pasta or country bread…..mmmmm…..mmmm..
Oh gawd - pear.
My anxiety level over my offer on the bunker has obviously interfered with the language areas of my brain.
I am knee deep in the most fabulous goat cheese in these parts.
One recent development around here is that people have started having pygmy goats instead of dogs for pets.
And that’s certainly something I’ve wanted to do. Get you a nice nanny and a wether or two, and you not only get goat milk, but instantaneous mowing and fertilizer, all with hours and hours of entertainment.
I love goats! Truly my favorite critters on earth!
Get two and your mowing days are over!
There just is not any good substitute for Roquefort, and even the “best” Bleus are lacking. It is good that a little goes a long way. Warmest regards, Doc.
I sell two kinds here: Roquefort Society, and of couse, Bleu d’Auvergne, an incomparable cheese.