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This blue cheese, named after the southern French village of Roquefort in Aveyron, is referred to as the "King of Cheeses", and is considered to be the most famous cheese of France. Made from raw sheep's milk, Roquefort is especially infamous for its pungent smell and characteristic blue veins of mold, as well as its unique production process.
Roquefort is often served on a cheese board; it goes well with fruits, vegetables and nuts. It is perfect in many dishes and salads as well, but some swear it is best enjoyed just plain on a piece of bread. Enjoy a glass of sweet dessert wine such as Muscat Port or Sauternes with it. |
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Roquefort is made from raw Lacaune sheep's milk; the only breed of sheep to be able to adapt to the rigorous climatic conditions of the region, marked by some extreme variations in temperature. The sheep are fed on grass, fodder and cereals, which must come from at least 75% of the geographic area. Except for the winter period, grazing is compulsory. Cantorel Roquefort is produced in the small town of Lauras.
Roquefort has no rind, the exterior is edible and slightly salty. The cheese is white, crumbly and slightly moist, with distinctive veins of blue mold that have a sharp tang. It should be served at room temperature. Roquefort is high in protein and minerals, notably in calcium.. |
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The legend says...that once a shepherd, caught sight of a beautiful girl perched in the distance at dusk. Determined to find her, he left his dog to guard the flock and hastily placed his lunch - bread and ewe's milk curds - in the nearby caves to keep cool.
The shepherd was away for days, looking for his maiden, but unfortunately, he never found her. Dejected, he returned to his sheep, tired and hungry. When he took his lunch out of the caves, he found that the bread and milk curds were moldy. His hesitation was brief due to his mounting hunger. With some trepidation, the shepherd took a bite and was pleasantly surprised to find that his moldy lunch tasted quite delicious! The Penicillium roqueforti had done its work, the Roquefort was born.
First evidence of Roquefort was discovered as early as 79 A.D. From the 8th century, Roquefort is cited in many acts, settlements, government bonds, etc. It was also the favorite cheese of Charlemagne. Then in 1411, a Charter by Charles VI recognized the great importance of defending Roquefort cheese "in a country where neither vine stock, nor wheat berry grows" and in 1666, a decree from the Parliament of Toulouse grants to the inhabitants of Roquefort "the monopoly for ripening the cheese such as it is practiced from time immemorial in the cellars of the abovementioned village". Despite the Revolution, the privileges granted to Roquefort are upheld by the Convention, which decides, that "it will only be Roquefort which will leave the cellars of Roquefort". Centuries later, "the cheese of kings and popes" is still produced according to tradition, only in the village of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon. It is arguably one of the world's most renowned blue cheeses and, with it's own protection law since 1925. Roquefort was the recipient of France's first PDO protection, when regulations controlling its production and naming were first defined. Today there are 6 producers of Roquefort each holding one or more caves in the Combalou rock, among them les Fromageries occitanes. |
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Each day for eight months, collection rounds bring in the milk from the farms to the cheese dairies set up in the production area. Their role is to transform the milk into cheese paste, ahead of ripening which next takes place in the cellars of Roquefort. About 3.2 gallons of sheep’s milk is needed in order to produce a Roquefort cheese weighing about 6.4 pounds before entering the cellar. The procedures are: the heating of the milk and adding penicillium spores, then the curdling, cutting, preparation of the curd, putting the curd into moulds, whey drainage, and salting. The cheese is firstly salted by friction around the mould (the crown) and one of its sides. Three days after, the same operation occurs but the mould is now turned over onto its other side for two days. And it is here, in these mysterious and innermost cellars that a miracle of nature lives on. The moulds are matured on oak planks. The cheeses remain in the cellars of Roquefort for at least 14 days and then go into a refrigerating cellar for at least 90 days. |
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Roquefort's milk collection zone is limited to an area situated within a radius of about 65 miles around the village Roquefort-sur-Soulzon. On the other hand, the refining zone is limited to the only commune of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon and even limited to the subsidence zone of the Combalou rock: a 1.2 miles long rock slide by 1000 feet wide. In fact, subsidence of the cliff has created some natural cellars at a very precise temperature and hygrometry, as natural ventilation is ensured by cracks in the rock. These aspects give a distinctive feature to the Roquefort cellars and the inimitable taste to its cheese.
Roquefort cheese benefits from a designation of origin since 1925, a registered designation of origin since 1979, and a protected designation of origin (PDO) since 1996. The designation’s objective is to design a product whose quality or attributes are due to the geographic surroundings, including natural and human factors. |
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This blue cheese, named after the southern French village of Roquefort in Aveyron, is referred to as the "King of Cheeses", and is considered to be the most famous cheese of France. Made from raw sheep's milk, Roquefort is especially infamous for its pungent smell and characteristic blue veins of mold, as well as its unique production process.
Roquefort is often served on a cheese board; it goes well with fruits, vegetables and nuts. It is perfect in many dishes and salads as well, but some swear it is best enjoyed just plain on a piece of bread. Enjoy a glass of sweet dessert wine such as Muscat Port or Sauternes with it
Roquefort is made from raw Lacaune sheep's milk; the only breed of sheep to be able to adapt to the rigorous climatic conditions of the region, marked by some extreme variations in temperature. The sheep are fed on grass, fodder and cereals, which must come from at least 75% of the geographic area. Except for the winter period, grazing is compulsory. Cantorel Roquefort is produced in the small town of Lauras.
Roquefort has no rind, the exterior is edible and slightly salty. The cheese is white, crumbly and slightly moist, with distinctive veins of blue mold that have a sharp tang. It should be served at room temperature.
Roquefort is high in protein and minerals, notably in calcium..
The legend says...that once a shepherd, caught sight of a beautiful girl perched in the distance at dusk. Determined to find her, he left his dog to guard the flock and hastily placed his lunch - bread and ewe's milk curds - in the nearby caves to keep cool.
The shepherd was away for days, looking for his maiden, but unfortunately, he never found her. Dejected, he returned to his sheep, tired and hungry. When he took his lunch out of the caves, he found that the bread and milk curds were moldy. His hesitation was brief due to his mounting hunger. With some trepidation, the shepherd took a bite and was pleasantly surprised to find that his moldy lunch tasted quite delicious! The Penicillium roqueforti had done its work, the Roquefort was born.
First evidence of Roquefort was discovered as early as 79 A.D. From the 8th century, Roquefort is cited in many acts, settlements, government bonds, etc. It was also the favorite cheese of Charlemagne. Then in 1411, a Charter by Charles VI recognized the great importance of defending Roquefort cheese "in a country where neither vine stock, nor wheat berry grows" and in 1666, a decree from the Parliament of Toulouse grants to the inhabitants of Roquefort "the monopoly for ripening the cheese such as it is practiced from time immemorial in the cellars of the abovementioned village". Despite the Revolution, the privileges granted to Roquefort are upheld by the Convention, which decides, that "it will only be Roquefort which will leave the cellars of Roquefort".
Centuries later, "the cheese of kings and popes" is still produced according to tradition, only in the village of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon. It is arguable one of the world's most renowned blue cheeses and, with it's own protection law since 1925. Roquefort was the recipient of France's first PDO protection, when regulations controlling its production and naming were first defined. Today there are 6 producers of Roquefort each holding one or more caves in the Combalou rock, among them les Fromageries occitanes.
Each day for eight months, collection rounds bring in the milk from the farms to the cheese dairies set up in the production area. Their role is to transform the milk into cheese paste, ahead of ripening which next takes place in the cellars of Roquefort. About 3.2 gallons of sheep’s milk is needed in order to produce a Roquefort cheese weighing about 6.4 pounds before entering the cellar.
The procedures are: the heating of the milk and adding penicillium spores, then the curdling, cutting, preparation of the curd, putting the curd into moulds, whey drainage, and salting.
The cheese is firstly salted by friction around the mould (the crown) and one of its sides. Three days after, the same operation occurs but the mould is now turned over onto its other side for two days. And it is here, in these mysterious and innermost cellars that a miracle of nature lives on. The moulds are matured on oak planks. The cheeses remain in the cellars of Roquefort for at least 14 days and then go into a refrigerating cellar for at least 90 days.
