Bleu cheese is a spotted or veined cheese that has had a fungi or mold from the Penicillium family which gives the cheese a distinct odor and smell and blue or blue-green spotting.
Bleu cheese is believed to be discovered by accident since the caves that were used to age cheese in ancient times were environments conducive to mold because of moisture, cooler tempuratures, and low light levels.
Gorgonzola is thought to be one of the oldest bleu cheeses, dating back to 879 A.D..
Culinary uses
Bleu cheese is a popular flavor and topping in the United States. besides being eaten as a table cheese with wine, fruit, and crackers, blue cheese is used for salad dressings, eaten with hamburgers, steaks or lamb and tossed with risotto or polenta.
Bleu Cheese Varieties
References
Fast Facts
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Regional names
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Fact:
Believed to have been discovered by accident
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Fact:
Characterized by pungent smell
