A raw sheep's milk blue cheese aged in the natural limestone caves of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon in the Aveyron, threaded with Penicillium roqueforti cultivated on bread. The first cheese to receive AOC status, in 1925; the benchmark of French blue cheeses.
Roquefort is a raw sheep's milk blue cheese of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon in the Aveyron. Legend attributes its discovery to a shepherd boy who left his bread-and-cheese lunch in a cave. It was the first cheese to receive AOC status, in 1925; the designation requires raw Lacaune sheep's milk, the Penicillium roqueforti mold cultivated on bread, and aging in the natural caves for a minimum of ninety days.
A wedge shows a white paste threaded with strong blue-green veining, moist and crumbly. The flavor is sharp, peppery, and salty, with the sheep's milk giving a richness that balances the mold's pungency.
The mold is cultivated on bread, dried, ground, and added to the milk. The curd is not pressed, leaving open channels; the wheel is pierced with needles (piquage) so the mold can grow internally. Aging in the natural limestone caves — with their constant cool temperature and humidity — is essential for the mold to flourish.
Variations
Made only from raw Lacaune sheep's milk, aged in the natural caves of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon.
On the Palate
Where Roquefort sits in the French flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 20How it's made
6 steps · 1 hour
- 130 min
Collect raw Lacaune sheep's milk; warm and add starter, bread-cultivated mold, and rennet.
- 230 min
Cut the curd and ladle into cylindrical molds without pressing; drain.
Watch outLadle the curd into the molds without pressing — leaving those open channels is essential, it's where the blue mold later spreads.
- 315 min
Salt the wheels and move to the natural limestone caves.
- 415 min
Pierce the wheels with needles to open air channels for the blue mold.
Watch outPierce the wheels with needles to open air channels — without these the mold can't get oxygen inside and the blue veining never forms.
- 560 min
Age in the caves for a minimum of ninety days.
- 65 min
Wrap in foil and release.
