Blue Cheese

Blue cheese also called Blue vein cheese is a general term used to describe cheese produced from cow’s milk, sheep’s milk, or goat’s milk and ripened with cultures of the mold Penicillium. It is a semi soft cheese that is described by green, grey, blue or black veins or spots of mold throughout the body. These veins are created during the production stage when cheese is ‘spiked’ with stainless steel rods to let oxygen circulate and encourage the growth of the mold. This process also softens the texture and develops the characteristic blue flavor. Types of blue cheese include Roquefort cheese, Stilton cheese, and Gorgonzola cheese. Cheese ripened inside the Combalou caves of Roquefort-Sur-Soulzon can only allow the call Roquefort cheese, even though similar sorts of blue cheese are produced in different locations too.

Blue cheese is a form of cheese which is white in color and owes its name due to the blue streaks caused on its surface due to the ageing process. This cheese is considered to be a culinary delight for its wealthy creamy texture and sharp, tangy taste. In France, its miles referred to as ‘the cheese of kings and popes’. It is used as toppings on bread and can be used in salads, pasta, dips etc. It is often enjoyed in salads, hamburgers on crackers and included dips and salad dressings.

Blue cheese in rich in calcium, thus, it will help in preventing several diseases. Blue cheese consists of goat’s milk instead of cow’s milk and goat’s milk is within itself healthier than milk from cow. The milk obtained from a goat contains less but it’s rich in iron, vitamin A and B and phosphorus. Thus, this cheese can be simply digested as compared to the cow’s milk cheese. So, those individual that are lactose-intolerant must eat this cheese. Let’s have a look at the health benefits of blue cheese in details.

History

Blue cheese is supposed to have been discovered by accident when cheeses were stored in natural temperatures and moisture-controlled caves, which happen to be favorable environments for many varieties of harmless mold. It was moist in the cave so the mold would form. According to legend, Roquefort was discovered when a youth, eating a lunch of bread and ewes’ milk cheese, abandoned his meal in a nearby cave after seeing a beautiful girl in the distance. When he returned months later, the mold (Penicillium roqueforti) had transformed his cheese into Roquefort.

Gorgonzola is one of the oldest known blue cheeses, having been created around 879 AD, though it is said that it did not actually contain blue veins until around the 11th century. Stilton is a relatively new addition becoming popular sometime in the early 1700s. Many varieties of blue cheese that originated subsequently, such as the 20th century Danablu and Cambozola, were an attempt to fill the demand for Roquefort-style cheeses that were prohibitive due to either cost or politics.

Types

1. Ädelost Cheese

Ädelost which means noble cheese is actually a blue cheese from Sweden, made from pasteurized cow’s milk. Remarkable characteristics include a light cream color with evenly distributed blue-gray veins and a sharp, salty flavor. The cheese has a slightly moldy rind and typically comes in cylinders of 18 cm (7.1 in) in diameter by 10 cm (3.9 in) in height, with a finished weight of 2.5 kg (5.5 lb.).

2. Aura cheese

Aura is a type of blue cheese produced in Äänekoski, Finland, by the Finnish dairy company Valio. Aura is made of cow’s milk and takes its name from the Aura River, which runs through the city of Turku. The cheese is available in two varieties. The regular variety is aged for six weeks, whereas the stronger ‘Aura Gold’ variety is aged for 12 weeks.

3. Bleu Bénédictin

Bleu Bénédictin is a Canadian blue cheese made by the monks at the Benedictine Abbey of Saint-Benoît-du-Lac, Quebec. The cheese is a semi-soft, whole milk blue cheese deeply veined with the Roquefort penicillium mold. A wheel of Bénédictin weighs 2 kg (4.4 lb.) and has a whitish-grey coating.

4. Bleu d’Auvergne

Bleu d’Auvergne is a French blue cheese, named for its place of origin in the Auvergne region of south-central France. It is made from cow’s milk, and is one of the cheeses granted the Appellation d’origine contrôlée from the French government.

5. Bleu de Bresse

Bleu de Bresse is a blue cheese that was first made in the Bresse area of France following World War II. Made from whole milk, it has a firm, edible coating which is typically white in color and has an aroma of mushrooms. Its creamy interior, similar in texture to Brie, contains patches of blue mold. It is shaped into cylindrical rounds weighing from 125 to 500 grams (4.4 to 17.6 oz.).

6. Bleu de Gex

Bleu de Gex is a creamy, semi-soft blue cheese made from unpasteurized milk in the Jura region of France.

7. Bleu des Causses

Bleu des Causses is a French blue cheese made from cow’s milk. It is considered a mild variant of Roquefort. The cheese has a fat content of 45% and is aged for 3–6 months in Gorges du Tarn’s natural limestone caves.

8. Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage

Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage is a mild pasteurized natural rind cow’s milk blue cheese originally produced by monks in the Rhône-Alpes region of France in the 14th century. Now made in the Dauphiné area, the cheese has been a protected Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée since 1998.

9. Bleuchâtel

Bleuchâtel is a Swiss blue cheese produced from pasteurized cow’s milk in Les Ponts-de-Martel in Switzerland. Its name comes from bleu (blue in French) and Neuchâtel.

10. Brighton Blue

Brighton Blue is a blue cheese made in Sussex, England. It is named after the city of Brighton in East Sussex. Brighton Blue is made from cow’s milk, only by the High Weald Dairy in Horsted Keynes, West Sussex. It has a semi-soft texture. It is yellow, with blue veins. The rind is edible.

11. Buxton Blue

Buxton Blue is an English blue cheese that is a close relative of Blue Stilton and is made from cow’s milk, and is lightly veined with a deep russet coloring. It is usually made in a cylindrical shape.  This cheese is complemented with a chilled glass of sweet dessert wine or ruby port.

12. Cabrales Cheese

Cabrales is a blue cheese made in the artisan tradition by rural dairy farmers in Asturias, Spain. This cheese can be made from pure, unpasteurized cow’s milk or blended in the traditional manner with goat and/or sheep milk, which lends the cheese a stronger, spicier flavor.

13. Danish Blue Cheese

Danablu, often advertised under the trademark Danish Blue Cheese within North America is a strong, blue-veined cheese. This semi-soft creamery cheese is typically drum- or block-shaped and has a white-to-yellowish, slightly moist, edible rind. Made from full fat cow’s milk and homogenized cream, it has a fat content of 25–30% (50–60% in dry matter) and is aged for eight to twelve weeks.

14. Dolcelatte

Dolcelatte is a blue veined Italian soft cheese. The cheese is made from cow’s milk, and has a sweet taste. Its name translates from Italian to ‘sweet milk’ in English.

15. Dorset Blue Vinney

Dorset Blue Vinney is a traditional blue cheese made near Sturminster Newton in Dorset, England, from skimmed cows’ milk. It is a hard, crumbly cheese.

16. Fourme d’Ambert

Fourme d’Ambert is a semi-hard French blue cheese. One of France’s oldest cheeses, it dates from as far back as Roman times. It is made from raw cow’s milk from the Auvergne region of France, with a distinct, narrow cylindrical shape.

17. Fourme de Montbrison

Fourme de Montbrison is a cow’s-milk cheese made in the regions of Rhône-Alpes and Auvergne in southern France. It derives its name from the town of Montbrison in the Loire department.

18. Maytag Blue Cheese

Maytag is a blue cheese produced on the Maytag Dairy Farms outside of Newton, Iowa, the former home of the Maytag Corporation. In 1938, Iowa State University developed a new process for making blue cheese from homogenized cow’s milk instead of the traditional sheep’s milk.

19. Norbury Blue

Norbury Blue is an English blue cheese made on Norbury Park farm, situated within Norbury Park, Surrey. It is entirely handmade and the only blue cheese made in the South of England with milk from a closed herd of Friesian cows, fed on GM-free fodder.

20. Oxford Blue

Oxford Blue is a variety and brand of blue cheese produced in Burford, Oxfordshire, England. It is a soft and creamy cheese that has tangy, aromatic and spicy qualities.

21. Rokpol

Rokpol is a Polish blue cheese similar to Danish blue cheeses, with a pungent, salty taste and moderate astringency. The name derives from Roquefort and suggests that it is Polish Roquefort. However, unlike Roquefort, it is made from cow’s milk. Currently it is often sold under brand name Lazur.

22. Saga Cheese

Saga cheese originated in Denmark and is a mix of blue cheese and brie. It is a creamy, blue-veined cheese with a white-mould rind. Saga is a very mild blue-veined cheese. It comes with a delicate blue mold that may not appear in other varieties of blue cheeses. It is aged for more than 60 days.

23. Saint Agur Blue  

Saint Agur is a blue cheese made from pasteurized cow’s milk from the village of Beauzac in the Monts du Velay, part of the mountainous Auvergne region of central France.

24. Stichelton

Stichelton is an English blue cheese. It is similar to Blue Stilton cheese, except that it does not use pasteurized milk or factory-produced rennet. The name comes from a form of the name of Stilton village in the 1086 Domesday Book (Stichiltone/Sticiltone), as the name Stilton cannot legally be used for the cheese.

25. Valdeón cheese

Queso de Valdeón is a Spanish blue cheese from León. The cheese is made in Posada de Valdeón, in the northeast of the province of León, and is wrapped in sycamore maple (Acer pseudoplatanus), or chestnut leaves before being sent to market. The cheese has a very intense blue flavor, but is not as yellowed or as biting as its cousin Cabrales.

Health benefits of Blue Cheese

 Blue cheese is a form of cheese which is white in color and owes its name due to the blue streaks caused on its surface due to the ageing process. It is used as toppings on bread and can be used in salads, pasta, dips etc. It has great health benefits as its heart healthy, anti-inflammatory, contains numerous minerals and it is low calorie and hence, can be incorporated into a dieting plan. Listed below are few of the health benefits of consuming blue cheese

1. Heart Health

Addition of blue cheese in your diet may help in lowering the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Research has shown that people who consume blue cheese regularly have a lower risk of contracting cardiovascular diseases than their counterparts who do not consume it. Blue cheese also helps in lowering cholesterol levels, and prevents artery inflammation and blood clotting in veins or arteries.

2. Acts as Anti-Cellulite

Our body has a tendency to accumulate fats in form of cellulites for future difficulties, but it often leads to much more severe condition witnessed in today’s world, i.e. obesity. Blue cheese, with its anti-cellulite properties, aids in preventing this cellulite deposition.

3. Protects the Bones and Joints

Anti-inflammatory elements present in blue cheese help in reducing the inflammation of the joints. It also supplies its dose of calcium to the body that keeps the bones strong and healthy and reduces the risk of bone diseases like osteoporosis. Blue cheese also contains phosphorous that is essential for bone health and also protects it from diseases like rickets.

4. Prevents Strokes

Regular Blue cheese intake can help in dilating the blood vessels and prevents the occurrence of clots that could lead to strokes. It controls the level of cholesterol and prevents its level from rising and thus protects the body against strokes.

5. Builds strong muscles

Milk protein in moldy cheese has the ability to build strong muscle as well as strong cells and organs. Protein contained in the one 1 oz. serving of blue cheese is 6 grams, which also supported by potassium to provide muscle contraction.

6. Boosts Immune System

Researches have shown that blue cheese consumption boosts the immune system. Blue cheese can offer a number of essential vitamins and minerals, including vitamin A, vitamin D, potassium, sodium, and zinc. In other words, it plays an important role in preventing diseases by providing us with a strong immune system.

7. Fights Arthritis

As we start aging, more health issues are experienced by us, arthritis being one of them. Blue cheese possesses anti-inflammatory properties that help in reducing joint inflammation and relieve arthritis pain. Addition of blue cheese in your diet plan lowers the risk of arthritis and also helps in combating it.

8. Aids in Weight Loss

Blue cheese is well known to contain low fat and low calorie contents and can be used well for weight management programs. So, planned regular incorporation of the blue cheese in your diet aids in keeping your body fit and loses those extra mass effectively.

9. Helps to control hormone levels

Calcium contained in moldy cheese helps to control hormone levels in the body, or you can also read benefits of calcium. Since then, the cheese is appropriate for women who are having problems with hormone. For the best result, it is great to take more calcium from other healthy foods.

10. Sharpens Memory

Blue cheese is known to increase cognitive functions by way of improving recollection power and improving memory. Kids in the growing years should be given blue cheese for memory enhancement and even old age people who suffer from memory loss and degenerative brain diseases.

11. Prevents Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is a condition when bones become so weak that they may tend to fracture even by a mild fall. It is more common in women than men. Blue cheese is a very good source of calcium that is important for bone health. One ounce of blue cheese has about 150 milligrams of calcium. Thus, consumption of blue cheese makes your bones healthy and helps in preventing diseases like osteoporosis.

12. Maintains the dental health

As well as moldy cheese promotes bones health, it also maintains dental health due to high of calcium and phosphorus content. The cheese contains 53 percent of calcium and consequently it is dental friendly. In addition, it also prevents cavity and tooth decay including fights plaque.

13. Improves the Efficacy of Different Vaccines

Blue cheese is well known to boost the potency of different vaccines such as polio, flu and cholera by enhancing immune response towards them by promoting antibody production as well as increasing their efficacy to attack those foreign antigens.

14. Increases eyes health

Vitamin A contained in moldy cheese can help to increase eyes health which also may avoid you from some conditions like cataracts and night blindness, or you can also read vitamin a benefits. However, the vitamin is not as much as in some fruits and vegetables. So, consuming fruits and vegetables are better for the health of eyes.

15. Helps to gain weight

With some calories and fat, moldy cheese can help to gain weight. A single ounce of cheese has 100 calories or 5 percent of daily intake in a 2,000-calorie diet. Furthermore, each serving of blue or moldy cheese also has 8.2 grams of fat, including 5.3 grams of saturated fat.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xbr2Lqb7lsU

Recipes

Macaroni and Blue Cheese

Ingredients

• 1 lb. elbow macaroni
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1⁄4 cup flour
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 3 cups grated cheddar cheese
• 1 1⁄2 cups crumbled blue cheese
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh chives, to taste
• 1 dash salt
• 1 dash pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350* and butter 13×9 glass baking dish.
2. Cook pasta (about 8 min) and drain.
3. Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium to low heat, then add flour and cook 1 minute stirring constantly (do not allow to brown).
4. Gradually whisk in cream and milk and simmer until mixture thickens slightly, whisking occasionally (about 3 minutes).
5. Reduce heat to low and add grated cheddar cheese and only 1 cup blue cheese.
6. Whisk about 2 minutes or when cheese starts to melt, then flavor with salt and pepper.
7. Add cooked pasta to sauce, stirring to coat, and transfer mixture to 13×9 dish.
8. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup blue cheese and bake about 25 minutes or until sauce begins to bubble.
9. Sprinkle with chives and serve- enjoy!

Green Beans, toasted Pecans and Blue Cheese

Ingredients

• 1⁄4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon cider vinegar
• 2 teaspoons finely chopped shallots
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1⁄2 cup pecans
• 3⁄4 lb. green beans
• 1 1⁄2 ounces blue cheese, such as maytag

Instructions

1. In a large bowl whisk together mustard, vinegar, shallot, and 1/2 tablespoon oil to make dressing.
2. In a small heavy skillet heat remaining 1/2 tablespoon oil over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking and sauté pecans with salt to taste, stirring frequently, until a shade darker, about 1 minute.
3. Transfer nuts to paper towels to drain and cool.
4. Coarsely chop nuts.
5. Have ready a bowl of ice and cold water.
6. In a large saucepan of boiling salted water blanch beans until just tender, about 3 minutes, and drain in a colander.
7. Transfer beans to ice water, stirring until just cool.
8. Drain beans well and add to dressing.
9. Crumble blue cheese over beans and gently toss with half of nuts and salt and pepper to taste.
10. Serve beans at room temperature topped with remaining nuts.

Tantalizing Turkey and Blue Cheese Meatballs

Ingredients

• 4 cloves garlic
• 1/2 onion, cut into chunks
• 2 jalapeno peppers, halved and seeded
• 1 pound ground turkey
• 3 tablespoons blue cheese
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• 3 egg whites
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon chili powder

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and set aside.
2. Pulse garlic cloves in a food processor until minced.
3. Add onion and jalapeno, and pulse until minced again.
4. Scrape the onion mixture into a large bowl along with the turkey, blue cheese, bread crumbs, egg whites, and olive oil.
5. Season with soy sauce, dried parsley, Italian seasoning, pepper, and chili powder. Mix well.
6. Roll the mixture into 2 inch balls, and place onto prepared baking sheet.
7. Bake in preheated oven until golden brown, and no longer pink in the center, about 25 minutes

Other Facts

• According to legend, Roquefort was invented by a shepherd boy who left his cheese and bread lunch in a cave in order to pursue a beautiful girl.
• The mould that gives Roquefort its character is Penicillium roqueforti.
• Roquefort mould was used to treat gangrene long before Alexander Fleming isolated penicillin.
• Under European law, only cheeses aged in the natural Cambalou caves of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon may bear the name Roquefort.
• A typical wheel of Roquefort weighs between 2.5 and 3 kilograms and is about 10cm thick.
• Around three million wheels are produced each year, weighing a total of about 19,000 tones.

References:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_cheese

http://www.foodreference.com/html/artbluecheese.html

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