If we think on the scale of human history, we must admit that blue cheese (Dor Blue, Camembert, Brie and others) is a relatively young product. By the time it appeared on the world culinary scene, cheese making was already a fairly developed craft with well-established technology, rules, specialists and devices.
7,000 years ago, people used only selected cheese to make cheese, fresh milk. The experience of mankind has suggested that products with mold are not suitable for food. The appearance of cheeses covered with a crust of mold, according to some scientists, is a pure coincidence.
One version of how this happened is set out in an old French legend. This happened around 1700 in France, in the town of Roquefort.
This area has always been famous for its picturesque mountainous terrain, abundance of caves and valleys covered with lush green grass, where to this day large herds of goats and sheep are raised for grazing.
When one of the shepherds got bored with this idyll, he left the herd for a while to dine on his usual food, consisting of water, bread and cheese in one of the caves.
His modest meal was interrupted by a wonderful sight: a beautiful girl, who happened to be in these parts, walked past him. Forgetting both his craft and dinner, the enchanted young man left after her. Where he wandered, what happened between the shepherd and the beautiful stranger - the legend is silent about this. However, he returned to these parts only a month later.
The cheese and bread he had left in the cave still lay there untouched. However, during this time the bread became moldy, and characteristic bluish streaks appeared on the cheese.
Apparently, the shepherd was so hungry that this did not bother him: he immediately ate the moldy cheese, the spicy smell and delicate salty taste of which captivated him.
Following the example of the shepherd, the inhabitants of the village of Roquefort also began to leave cheese and bread in the caves, since there was plenty of them in these parts. A fragrant cheese with a bright nutty taste and an unforgettable aroma has become known throughout the world under the name “Roquefort”.
Legend No. 2
Blue cheese could appear under other circumstances. According to another version, a shepherd boy was going to have a snack, found a suitable cave and laid bread and cheese on a large stone located inside it. At that moment, something happened in the herd, and the boy left the cave to restore order to it.
A few weeks later, he returned to the cave, where he discovered the bread and cheese he had forgotten, covered with a thin layer of blue mold. Then the boy treated the monks with this cheese, who asked to tell them in more detail about the recipe for making the delicacy they liked.
A little history and microbiology
A legend is a legend, but the facts tell a different story. There is mention of blue cheese in the works of the historian Pliny (lived in 79 AD), and in the 15th century, the residents of the village of Roquefort were granted a monopoly on the production of the cheese of the same name.
Already by the end of the 19th century, when microbiology was already emerging as a branch of scientific knowledge, the type of mold that leads to such metamorphoses of the product was identified and classified - this is the so-called “noble” mold Penicillium roqueforti.
The spores of this mold are one of the few that can be eaten. They are added not only to Mont Bleu cheese, but also to other types of cheese, including:
- Italian Gorgonzola,
- english stilton,
- German Dor Blue.
And today, the technology for preparing Roquefort has not changed: the cheese is still placed in mountain caves in the vicinity of the village of Roquefort, where, under the influence of a humid climate, it acquires its “signature” blue mold.
Blue cheese goes well with fruits, nuts and herbs. This is a real find for any buffet and feast: the spicy nutty flavor of the cheese will not leave any gourmet indifferent.
In the catalog of sets and cheese canapés On our website you can find sliced cheeses and ready-made snacks with blue cheeses. In particular, for a buffet or banquet you can
About food
Blue cheeses. Variety of species
When we come to the store and see the same Camembert or Roquefort, they are most often designated by the phrase “blue cheese.” Interestingly, blue cheeses are considered a delicacy, while people began preparing them much earlier than non-blue cheeses. By the way, such products have been produced by humans for more than 4000 years! Descriptions of the production of blue cheese can be found in the works of such historical figures as Aristotle and Homer, and the legend of how Zarathustra ate only cheese on his travels for 20 years clearly shows how important this product was. And, naturally, it was moldy, since no other modifications were known then.
From the history of blue cheeses
How long did it take for mold-free cheeses to appear? Well, we can say that until the middle of the 19th century, almost all cheeses were somehow associated with these microorganisms. The thing is that only by the century before last people began to pasteurize, that is, process milk at high temperatures. It’s worth saying here that cheeses still come in traditional and industrial varieties. IN traditional cheeses unpasteurized, that is, raw, milk is used, which is prohibited by law in Russia. During production industrial products raw materials must be processed. How then does mold get there and what kind of mold does it come from? The answer, as always, lies in the manufacturing technology.
Types of mold
Not all types of mold are beneficial to humans. Today, only 3 types of fungi are allowed to be eaten: this is the so-called white mold(it is created by Penicillium camemberti or Penicillium candidum), red mold (the same fungus Penicillium in combination with water, salt, vinegar or wine) and blue mold (for example, Penicillium roqueforti or Pencillium glaucum).
Cheeses with white mold
Cheeses covered with white mold include Camembert, Buche de Chevre, and Brie. A snow crust of fungi can cover cheeses of these types up to 2 mm. It is thanks to it that Camembert and Brie have a distinct mushroom taste and nutty smell. As for bouche de chevre, in its case such a crust gives the tender flesh some piquancy.
Since cheeses with white mold are covered with fungal spores only top part, then Penicillium camemberti or Penicillium candidum is applied on top. So, at the Nikolaev and Sons cheese factory, the future Camembert of Lefkadia and Bouche of Lefkadia are generously sprayed with a special solution and left to ripen.
Blue cheeses
This category of cheeses includes the well-known Roquefort, Dor Blue and Gorgonzola. If you cut them, the mold will shimmer with bluish-green shades everywhere: from the surface to the pulp. During the ripening process, spores of the fungi Penicillium roqueforti or Pencillium glaucum are introduced into future cheeses using thin needles. Interestingly, this noble mold is related to bread mold. However, cheese fungi are quite safe and even beneficial for the human body, unlike their buttery counterparts. This happens because the royal blue mold of cheeses ripens inside the product, without access to oxygen.
Cheeses with red mold
Cheeses with red mold are less known in Russia than cheeses with blue or white mold. And in general, the color of such products is far from red: it is rather pink, ocher, yellowish-brown. How does this happen? Noble mold cultures are not added to the mass: they themselves are formed during the ripening process in cold cellars with humidity up to 98%. The crust of the future cheese is periodically cleaned with brushes, washed with brine or alcoholic drinks(wine, cider, Calvados), which causes the mold to change color. Prominent representatives of red mold cheeses are Livarot, Reblochon, and Epoisse.
Blue cheeses are a real gourmet treat. No mold-free product will give you such flavors. Blue cheeses are safe and healthy, but when purchasing, you should definitely pay attention to the expiration date.
People began making cheese more than ten thousand years ago. This happened almost simultaneously with the domestication of dairy animals. And the first written mention of cheese dates back to the middle of the sixth millennium BC.
Legends and tales
So far, scientists cannot say in which country or even on which continent cheese was first made. Most likely, like other useful inventions like making fire or farming, it appeared in several regions at the same time. This confirms the diversity of species and national varieties.
One of the most ancient legends says that they were the first to invent cheese. nomadic Arab tribes. Back then, the stomachs of slaughtered animals were used to store milk. Apparently, the stomachs were not thoroughly cleaned and retained a number of digestive enzymes on the walls. As a result, under their influence the first rennet cheese appeared.
According to another legend, cheese was invented in Ancient Greece and was called the food of the gods. The secret of production was owned by a mythical hero and son of Apollo named Aristaeus. And one of the myths calls the goddess Artemis the creator of cheese.
How the cheese business developed
According to historians, cheese was known to the ancient Slavs long before the beginning of our era. The secret of manufacturing came with the Greco-Roman expansion. Nevertheless, it was not appreciated by our ancestors, although it was considered one of the products that were necessarily offered to the altars of the gods.
Cheese owes its popularity largely to the Crusades. Then militant monks brought the first recipes to medieval Europe. The world owes such a variety of varieties today to monasteries. Because it was the monasteries that for a long time held a monopoly on the production of cheeses and carefully developed new types and methods of production.
The cheese industry returned to Russia with the arrival of Peter the Great. Under him, the first cheese factories were opened using Dutch technologies. And when former naval officer N.V. got down to business. Vereshchegin, oh Russian cheese they started talking even in Europe.
Cheese making today
Currently, cheese making is developed all over the world, and almost every country can boast of its own traditions. But two countries are competing for the title of main connoisseurs: France and Greece.
In the first one they love it so much that they even came up with varieties with mold and worms. But the second has been holding the lead in terms of the amount of cheese eaten per capita for many years. And this quantity is simply amazing, since it amounts to more than thirty kilograms per person.
The most interesting thing is that the volume of cheese production and consumption is increasing every year. Experts believe that the reason is the fashion for healthy eating, as well as the popularization of pizza.
Do you know who invented the salad and?
An unusual product, blue cheese, was discovered completely by accident.
History of blue cheese
History of blue cheese
Its homeland is the town of Roquefort in France. It is believed that this product was first made by a shepherd.
History of blue cheese
Inadvertently, he left a piece of cheese in the cave. Returning a few weeks later, he found his cheese there, which was covered with blue mold. The famous Roquefort in its modern form became widespread after 1070.
However, blue cheese is mentioned by the ancient figure Pliny the Elder.
Exclusive varieties of the product are obtained using special technology. In ancient times, cheese makers left bread in caves for 6 months so that it would become moldy.
Nowadays mold comes from laboratory conditions. Later it is sprayed over pieces of cheese. For better spread of fungi, holes are made in the cheese. After the mold has worked well on the product, it acquires a unique taste. Not only the French, but also other nations have their own blue cheese. For example, Italians make gorgonzola mold cheese.
Stilton cheese is produced in England.
Many of us know that blue cheese is considered a delicacy. What is so unusual about this cheese? It turns out that real cheese with mold are produced only in France.
Other countries also do something similar, but the most best cheeses- specifically made in France.
Blue cheese and its legend
Interestingly, there is a beautiful, romantic legend about blue cheese. One day, a young man, a shepherd, on the slope of Mount Combalou (not far from the village of Roquefort) sat down to have a snack of cheese and bread. At this time, a beauty passed by. The young man wanted to meet the girl and rushed after her, but there was no trace of her.
Returning to the cave a few days later, he saw the cheese left behind, covered with mold. The young man tried it and was pleasantly surprised: the cheese became completely new taste. So, according to legend, appeared Roquefort cheese, one of perhaps the most famous blue cheeses.
Where is blue cheese made?
It is clear that these are just legends. But in fact, blue cheeses have a rich history. Roquefort cheese is produced in caves in the Rouergue region of France. If you find cheese from another manufacturer on store shelves, then you are looking at something other than an ordinary fake.
The fact is that Roquefort cheese is produced in relatively small batches, because... There is not so much space in caves, and its cost is several times higher than its analogues. It is not at all necessary that such cheeses will be less tasty than real Roquefort.
Is mold in cheese harmful?
Many people unknowingly claim that mold used in production is harmful to health. This is wrong. Penicillium roqueforti mold is completely harmless the human body, it just sounds similar to penicillin. It is one of the most important factors that gives cheese an original, incomparable taste.
Types of blue cheeses
In addition to Roquefort, there are also varieties of blue cheese such as Stilton, Gorgonzola and others.
Blue cheese - Gorgonzola
Gorgonzola, like Roquefort, is one of the most famous varieties of blue cheese. Italy (more precisely, the regions of Piedmont and Lombardy) is considered its homeland. These two cheeses are very different in taste, because... Italians use sheep's milk to make cheese.
In addition, manufacturers also use different kinds mold. If in Roquefort it is Penicillium roqueforti, then in Gorgonzola it is Penicillium glaucum and two types of bacteria Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus bulgaricus. While the cheese is ripening, metal rods are inserted into the mass to ensure good ventilation. The ripening time for Gorgonzola is about four months. It is known that the Gorgonzola variety is more than 200 years older than Roquefort.
Gorgonzola has a copy called Bavaria blue.
Blue cheese - Stilton
Stilton cheese comes from England, from the counties of Lesteshire, Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire. Cheese of this variety is produced only from pasteurized cow's milk. It is aged for at least 9 weeks.
There are 2 types of English stilton - blue (the most popular) and less known - white stilton. Unlike other cheeses, in the total mass of cheese there are many passages made by mold.
In order to receive the proud name of Stilton, the cheese must meet a whole range of requirements. Real Stilton cheese must have specific blue veins running from the center.
Stilton cheese is considered the youngest(compared to the two previous varieties we describe) it appeared relatively recently - in the 18th century.
Blue cheese - Danablu
There is also a younger cheese - danabla, which appeared already in the twentieth century. It replaced the expensive Roquefort.
Because Blue cheese has a rather sharp taste and is usually served with tannic wines. Some gourmets and cheese connoisseurs tend to argue that blue cheese is incompatible with wine, with the exception of some types of white wines.
What do you eat blue cheese with?
Before serving, blue cheese is warmed to room temperature. It goes especially well with fruits, vegetables, crispbreads, crackers, etc. The British eat this cheese with vegetables and fresh herbs, and also add it to soups; The Danes use it with bread, the Italians add it to sauce and pizza.
Blue cheese - great ingredient for salads, with the exception of Roquefort cheese. This elite type of cheese is best eaten as an independent dish.
Is blue cheese healthy? Is there any benefit to it?
- Yes, if you eat it not very often and in small portions. It contains phosphorus and calcium, as well as other vitamins, as well as protein and amino acids necessary for humans.
- Many nutritionists claim that blue cheese also contains beneficial bacteria., which improve intestinal function.
- Turkish scientists made a discovery, it turns out, in the composition noble mold contains special substances that can protect the skin from harmful effects sun rays. Eating blue cheese causes substances to accumulate in the subcutaneous layer, resulting in the body producing more melanin, which significantly reduces the risk of sunburn.
