Blue Cheese Guide: Types, Taste and How to Enjoy It

Few foods divide people like blue cheese. To some it is the finest thing on the board; to others, just the smell is enough. If you have written it off, it is worth trying again — because “blue cheese” describes a whole family, from gentle and creamy to fiercely salty, and there is almost certainly one for you.

What makes cheese blue

Blue cheese is made by introducing Penicillium roqueforti, a harmless mould, into the curds. Once the cheese is formed, makers pierce it with steel needles to let air reach the interior. The mould grows along those channels, creating the blue-green veins that give the family its name. Then the cheese is aged in cool, humid conditions.

The main types of blue cheese

Roquefort

France’s great blue, made from sheep’s milk and aged in the caves of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon. Sharp, salty and intensely savoury. Protected by law to that single village.

Gorgonzola

Italy’s blue, from Lombardy and Piedmont, made from cow’s milk. Comes in two styles: dolce (sweet, soft and creamy) and piccante (firmer, sharper and more assertive). Gorgonzola dolce is the gentlest introduction to blue cheese.

Stilton

England’s most famous blue, creamy and rich with a mellow, slightly sweet tang. Only cheese made in Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire may be called Stilton.

Danish Blue

Widely available, creamy and relatively mild, with a distinctly salty bite. A good supermarket entry point.

What blue cheese tastes like

All blue cheese shares a salty, savoury, slightly metallic character, but the intensity varies enormously. The paste underneath can be creamy or crumbly, and the flavour can run from buttery (Gorgonzola dolce) to piercing (Roquefort, piccante Gorgonzola).

How to eat blue cheese

• Let it warm up. Room temperature softens the salt and opens the flavour.
• Balance the salt. Sweet things are the classic counterweight — honey, pears, figs, grapes, port.
• Crumble into salads with pear and walnuts, or stir into pasta sauce.
• Melt it. A little Gorgonzola dolce stirred into a risotto or sauce is remarkable.

Pairings

• Wine: port, Sauternes, late-harvest Riesling — the sweetness balances the salt
• Beer: a rich imperial stout or a barley wine
• Zero-proof: smoked tea, or grape juice

Storage tip

Keep blue cheese well wrapped and — importantly — separate from other cheeses. The mould can spread and turn your Brie blue too.

Frequently asked questions

Is the blue mould safe to eat?

Yes. The mould used in blue cheese is a safe, edible culture. Blue mould growing on an unrelated cheese in your fridge, however, is not intended — trim and discard it.

Why is blue cheese so salty?

The veins are added salt-heavy, and ageing concentrates the salt. It is also why blue cheese pairs so well with sweet food and drink.

Is blue cheese vegetarian?

Traditionally, animal rennet is used, so many blues are not vegetarian. Check labels for microbial rennet.

Next: understand where blue fits among the seven cheese families.