Blue cheese often has a tangy, strong flavor.
Blue cheese can be made from cow, sheep or goat milk and is recognizable by its creamy, blue-veined interior. One of the most powerful tasting cheeses available, blue cheese tends to put people into one of two camps: those who love it or those who hate it.
There is a wide variety of blue cheese types, from firm Stiltons to strong and crumbly Roqueforts and mild and creamy Cambozola. You don't have to be a cheese connoisseur to find a good blue cheese as some of the world's finest cheeses are available on supermarket counters and in local cheese shops. Learning the basic characteristics of blue cheese will help timid cheese buyers select a good cheese.
Instructions
1. Check that the blue cheese you are buying has been stored as the cheesemakers intended.The conditions under which cheese is kept can alter its texture and freshness. Blue cheese is often a very young cheese and so make sure that the date on the packaging is not past its peak. Blue cheese should be kept in a refrigerator and be tightly wrapped to prevent air entering the cheese and creating mold pockets. A good cheese shop will constantly update the selection of cheese they offer to ensure that customers only get fresh cheese, with all the aromas intact.
2. Find a cheese shop or cheese counter that will let you sample cheeses before buying. The only sure way to find out if a blue cheese is good or not is to taste it. The variety of blue cheese on the market is vast, and a good cheesemonger will let customers try before they buy.
3. Buy blue cheeses that have strong and peppery flavors. Unless you are buying a creamy, mild variety of blue cheese like sage blue and Cambozola, a good blue cheese will typically have an intense flavor. A sign of a quality blue cheese is one that has an almost sharp and lasting flavor. Imitation specialty blue cheeses made in industrial dairies will not have the same depth of flavor and tang as those made in artisan dairies.
4. Smell the cheese before you buy. Good quality blue cheese will have a musty, pungent aroma, while also smelling of fresh buttermilk. Let your noise be you guide. A blue cheese that has been handled badly will normally start to acquire too much white mold and will loose its freshness. A sign that a blue cheese that has lost its freshness is an almost sour, damp or moldy smell.
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