Blue cheese: what is blue-veined cheese and how does the mold get into it?
Blue cheese, also known as blue cheese: you either love it or you leave it alone. With its blue-green veins, creamy texture, and spicy, salty taste, it is one of the most distinctive cheeses out there. But mold in cheese, is it safe? And how does that blue mold actually get in there? In this blog, you will learn what blue cheese is, how the blue veins are formed, whether the mold is safe to eat, and how to enjoy blue cheese to the fullest.
What is blue cheese?
Blue cheese, also known as blue mold cheese, is cheese in which a special, edible blue mold grows. This mold forms blue-green veins and spots throughout the cheese. The mold used for this is called Penicillium roqueforti.
Blue cheese can be made from cow, goat, or sheep milk, and comes in many varieties: from soft and spreadable to semi-hard and crumbly, and from mild to very spicy. Famous examples from abroad are the French Roquefort, the Italian Gorgonzola, and the English Stilton. But delicious blue cheese is also made in the Netherlands.
How does the blue mold get into the cheese?
The blue veins do not form by themselves. Cheesemakers deliberately create them in a few steps:
- Add mold spores. At the beginning of the cheesemaking process, spores of the blue mold are added to the milk or the curds. These spores are then spread throughout the cheese.
- Form loosely. The curds are pressed less firmly than, for example, Gouda cheese. This leaves small cavities and crevices in the cheese.
- Prick with needles. After a few weeks, the cheese is pierced with long needles. This creates air channels inside.
- Ripen. The blue mold needs oxygen to grow. Air enters the cheese through the air channels, and the mold grows along those channels and in the cavities. This creates the characteristic blue-green veins.
Take a close look at a slice of blue cheese: you can often still see the straight lines of the needle holes in the pattern of the veins.
Is blue mold in cheese safe to eat?
Yes. The blue mold in blue cheese is a specially cultivated, edible mold that has been used for centuries. It belongs in the cheese and is completely safe to eat.
This is very different from mold that grows unintentionally on cheese or other food. If you see a patch of mold on a regular cheese that shouldn't be there, cut it away generously. In our blog about storing cheese, you can read how to handle this.
Are you pregnant? You can eat blue cheese made from pasteurized milk without any problems. Be careful with blue cheese made from raw milk. You can read more about this in our blog about cheese during pregnancy.
What does blue cheese taste like?
During ripening, the blue mold breaks down fats and proteins in the cheese. This creates the typical taste of blue cheese: spicy, salty, creamy, and sometimes slightly sharp. The aroma is often strong.
How strong the taste is varies greatly from cheese to cheese:
- Mild and creamy: accessible blue cheese with a soft, subtle blue taste. Ideal for trying it for the first time.
- Creamy and spicy: a full, salty taste with a distinct blue kick.
- Powerful and sharp: for the true connoisseur, with many blue veins and a distinctive taste.
Not sure if you will like blue cheese? Start with a mild variety.
Blue cheese at Kaas & Borrelz
In our webshop, you will find three very different blue cheeses, from mild to creamy and powerful:
Villa Blue: mild and semi-hard
Villa Blue is a Dutch, semi-hard blue cheese with a soft, creamy texture and a mild character. It is less sharp than many foreign blue cheeses and therefore ideal if you want to discover blue cheese.
Chevretta Blue: blue cheese made from goat milk
Chevretta Blue is a special combination: a creamy goat cheese with blue mold. It ripens for about eight weeks and has a soft texture, a slightly spicy blue taste, and beautiful blue-green veins.
Saint Agur: creamy and spreadable
Saint Agur is a French blue mold cheese made from cow's milk with an almost cream-like texture. The taste is full, slightly spicy, and salty, but the cheese is surprisingly soft and perfectly spreadable.
How to serve and store blue cheese
Serving tips
- Combine with something sweet. The salty, spicy taste of blue cheese pairs perfectly with sweet. Try the Cranberry Sauce or the Balsamic Cinnamon Sauce, or serve it with pear, figs, or grapes.
- Add nuts. Roasted and salted almonds or walnuts add a delicious crunch.
- Spread it. Saint Agur is delicious on a crispy cracker, such as the Rosemary Crackers, or on warm bread.
- Melt it into a sauce. A piece of Villa Blue gives a creamy pasta sauce or a meat sauce a full, spicy taste.
- Serve at room temperature. Take blue cheese out of the refrigerator half an hour beforehand. This allows the taste to come through best.
Storage tips
Always store blue cheese separately and well sealed, for example in aluminum foil or its own container. This prevents the blue mold and strong aroma from transferring to your other cheeses. You can read more tips in our blog about storing cheese.
Frequently asked questions about blue cheese
Is the mold in blue cheese healthy?
The blue mold is a specially cultivated, edible mold and is completely safe to eat. It belongs in the cheese.
What is the difference between blue cheese and blue mold cheese?
There is no difference. They are two names for the same type of cheese.
Why is blue cheese pierced?
The blue mold needs oxygen to grow. By piercing the cheese with needles, air enters the cheese and the mold can spread through the cheese in veins.
Which blue cheese is the mildest?
A semi-hard, creamy blue cheese such as Villa Blue is mild and accessible. A good choice if you want to get to know blue cheese.
Can you freeze blue cheese?
It is better not to. Blue cheese becomes crumbly after freezing. Therefore, only use frozen blue cheese in hot dishes, such as a sauce.
What types of blue cheese are there?
There are many types of blue cheese. Famous foreign varieties are Roquefort made from sheep milk from France, Gorgonzola from Italy, and Stilton from England. At Kaas & Borrelz, you will find the mild Villa Blue, the goat cheese variety Chevretta Blue, and the spreadable Saint Agur.
Can you eat blue cheese if you are pregnant?
You can eat blue cheese made from pasteurized milk. It is better to avoid blue cheese made from raw milk. Read more in our blog about eating cheese when you are pregnant.
Conclusion: deliberately cultivated mold full of flavor
Blue cheese is cheese in which a special, edible blue mold grows. Cheesemakers add the mold spores, pierce the cheese so that air can get in, and let the mold form veins during ripening. The result is a creamy, spicy, and salty cheese that is completely safe to eat. Start mild with Villa Blue, try the special goat cheese variety Chevretta Blue, or enjoy the creamy, spreadable Saint Agur. All can be found at Kaas & Borrelz.
