Roquefort Cheese

Guide Note

Roquefort cheese is a semi-hard sheep's milk cheese from France that is white and crumbly with veins of blue mold. It has a salty and tangy flavor and a strong pungent smell. It is a type of Bleu cheese along with Gorgonzola and Stilton.

Fast Facts

1. Made from sheep's milk
2. A variety of Bleu cheese
3. Only 7 Roquefort producers, each in possession of special caves that produce the unique mold
4. France's second most popular cheese after Brie

The production of Roquefort is heavily regulated by the AOC (Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée)

1. Milk used must be delivered at least 20 days after milking.
2. The adding of rennet must occur within 48 hours of milking.
3. The bacteria Penicillium roqueforti must be produced in France from the natural caves of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon.
4. Salting must be done with dry salt.
5. The entire process producing, aging, packaging, and refrigeration must take place in the commune of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon.