The cheese is moulded in an ammonite round and salted in brine before it gets pierced to allow oxygen into the cheese during maturation. During its 4-5 week spell in a maturing room, oxygen allows the blue moulds that were inoculated into the milk to thrive. This results in blue roqueforti moulds growing throughout the pierced 'veins', and inside the air pockets between the curds.
The outside of the cheese develops a natural, greyish blue rind from a combination of penicillium camemberti (white) and roquforti (blue) moulds. These give the rind an earthy flavour with a hint of bitterness that can be enjoyable alongside the rich, buttery and subtle sweetness of the paste. As the cheese matures, the paste around the rind breaks down slightly, creating a beautifully rich, buttery mouthfeel. The blue in the cheese has a subtle sharpness without overpowering the rich flavours of butter and cream that emanate from the rest of the paste.
The texture is smooth and rich, as Guernsey milk is very high in butterfat. This also contributes to the signature golden colour, as the Guernsey breed pass on more carotene into their milk from the grass they eat.
The cheese features a moist, crumbly paste with a rich, creamy mouthfeel and a strong, pungent aroma. Roquefort Société has a protected designation of origin (PDO) status, ensuring it is produced...
Maida Vale incorporates a 'washed-curd' method, whereby during the make, some of the whey is removed and replaced with water. This results in a less acidic cheese which is milder in flavour than a...
When young, the cheese is curdy and lactic with a sticky rind, developing a soft breakdown below the rind as it ages giving way to a buttery breakdown and a firm, curdy centre. Once fully ripened,...
Double Gloucester is a firm, mellow and tangy cheese made only from the milk of Gloucester cows in southwestern England while Stilton Blue cheese is a blue-veined, strong, smooth and creamy cheese...
