What Is Roquefort? A Guide to France’s Blue Classic

Roquefort is the oldest and most celebrated of the blue cheeses — a sharp, salty, sheep’s milk cheese aged in the natural caves of a single village in southern France. If you think you dislike blue cheese, Roquefort is not the cheese to change your mind with. If you love blue cheese, it is the benchmark.

What Roquefort is

Roquefort is a blue, sheep’s milk cheese from Roquefort-sur-Soulzon in the Aveyron department of France. It has been protected since 1925 — one of the first cheeses in the world to receive legal protection — and today it carries a PDO. By law, true Roquefort must be made from the raw milk of ewes in a defined region and matured in the natural caves of the Combalou mountain.

Why the caves matter

The caves of Combalou have natural fissures (called fleurines) that draw in cool, humid air, keeping the caves at a steady temperature and humidity ideal for ripening. This microclimate, together with the local Penicillium roqueforti mould, is central to Roquefort’s character. The cheese is aged in the caves for several months.

What Roquefort tastes like

Roquefort is intense. Expect a sharp, salty, pungent flavour with a sheep’s-milk tang and a creamy yet crumbly paste. The blue veining is dense; the saltiness is pronounced. It is a cheese of bold contrasts — and one that demands a bold pairing.

How to serve Roquefort

• Let it come to room temperature to soften the salt.
• Crumble it over salads with pear, walnut and bitter leaves.
• Melt it into a sauce for steak, or crumble over a burger.
• Serve with something sweet — honey, figs, or grapes — to balance the salt.

Pairings

• Wine: the classic is a sweet Sauternes, whose sweetness balances the salt; also port, or a bold red
• Beer: a strong dark ale or imperial stout
• Food: honey, pear, walnuts, grapes, dark bread

Frequently asked questions

Is Roquefort made from sheep’s milk?

Yes — always. That is part of what sets it apart from most other blues, which are typically cow’s milk.

Is Roquefort vegetarian?

Traditionally no — it is made with animal rennet.

Is Roquefort safe to eat?

It is a raw-milk cheese, so it is one to avoid during pregnancy or for those with weakened immune systems. Otherwise it is entirely safe and widely enjoyed.

Broader reading: our complete blue cheese guide.