I'll admit that when I was a child, the thought of eating blue cheese made me squeamish. Everything from its blue and green color to its stinky aroma repelled me. Overall, I think I was most disgusted by its mold. It was not until I moved to France and lived with a French family that I fell head over heels for this delectable category of cheeses.Yes. It's true that blue cheeses contain different strains of molds (usually Penicillium roqueforti), but this should hardly be off-putting when you consider the fact that all cheeses are made up of bacteria. I guarantee that you'll forget about the molds, the smell, and the bacteria after you try an assortment of blue cheeses. In fact, you'll start to love all those traits that turned you off from them in the first place.
I love the diversity of blue cheeses. While some are earthy, firm, and mildly spicy, others are creamy, sweet, and salty. I find it hard to understand when someone states that they do not like any blue cheeses. There are so many various styles of blue that I find it inconceivable that someone would not find at least one pleasing. Four of my absolute favorites can be found after the jump.
- Roquefort Vieux Berger: Out of all the Roqueforts that are imported into the U.S., this one is produced on the smallest scale. This sheep's milk blue cheese is by far the best. Its texture is like fudge and its molds taste like salted caramel. It's aged in the famous natural Roquefort caves in the Aveyron (southwestern France).
- Bleu des Basques: This is another sheep's milk blue cheese from France. Its aroma is more subdued than that of the Roquefort mentioned above. It has a smooth clean finish that makes it appealing to people who are tasting blue cheese for the first time. Its soft delicate consistency is absolutely heavenly!
- Stilton Colston Bassett: England is famous for its Stilton, a cow's milk blue cheese. Colston Bassett is one of the smallest Stilton producers in England. Stilton's earthiness and crumbly texture make it delicious in salads. This Stilton in particular has so much complexity that I think it would be best to eat on its own, perhaps, with some port.
- Cabrales: Firmer and spicier than the three cheeses mentioned above, this Spanish blue cheese is made with cow's milk with the addition of sheep's milk and goat's milk depending on availability.
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