Roquefort Papillon - Ravishingly Pleasing!

Roquefort is one of the world's most well-known and well-loved cheeses. Produced for centuries and matured in the Combalou Cave systems of Southern France it's historic story of discovery is one of chance and coincidence. Way back in time, when Jack was just a lad, it is said that a shepherd sat down to rest in a cave with a bag of rye bread and sheep's cheese. However, it was not food that he had on his mind but instead the pursuit of a stunning shepherdess! In his haste he set off to track her down (and presumably start a family of mini shepherds) but as his mind was all a flutter he forgot to take his food with him. Sources say that only when he realized he was as hungry as a hippo on a hamster's diet did he return to the cave to find that his cheese had all this weird green and blue mold on it. Famished, he demolished the lot at once and was pleasantly surprised to find it tasted bloody fantastic!

Pretty Papillon

Roquefort has protected status of origin, it has been revered by kings and it has seen and survived many wars. In comparison with the Roquefort produced for centuries, Papillon is a toddler of a producer. First made in 1906 it is only just getting it's adult teeth. The are only 7 producers of Roquefort and Papillon is one of the largest.

It is pretty much the best sheep's milk blue cheese that there is. The milk comes from Lacaune Sheep and whatever it is that these ewe's eat, the milk they produce is so rich! The flavor is not for the faint-hearted. It's bold, it's intense, it's salty and it's powerful. In all honesty, it's a little strong for me but I can absolutely appreciate what an incredible cheese it really is! When the outer silver foil is pulled back the inside is like a picture of modern art; a bright white paste, interjected with blue and green mold. As a bonus, this particular one is organic!

If you want a piece of history eat it with rye bread.
If you want it warmed up put it on a burger.
If you wanna get sloshed, eat it with a stout!

Cheese-o-meter rating: 8/10

Saint Agur; the rindless, blue wonder!

I've been meaning to write about Saint Agur for some time. It's just one of those cheeses that sometimes seems to be overlooked until it is either sampled or accidentally on purpose thrown into someone's shopping basket when they are looking in the other direction. It doesn't take a genius to work out it's country of origin. It sounds French. It tastes French. In fact I'm sure I saw a wheel just yesterday complete with a tilted beret and baguette.

     Saint Agur is another BLUE and it is pretty damn delicious. It's a double-cream cheese which makes it spreadable and wonderful. It is made from pasteurized cow's milk which comes from a small village called Beauzac in the mountainous region of Auvergne (which is the also the name of another blue cheese). The producers of Saint Agur add vegetarian rennet instead of animal rennet during the cheese-making process so it's even suitable for vegetarians! Everyone's a winner...apart from the vegans...and the lactose intolerant.....okay, so most people are winners!

I cut this the little number today!

     This cheeky blue has no rind so in order to keep it together it is usually wrapped in a very presentable, octagonal foil cover. It is relatively salty and fairly tangy as you would expect from most blues but overall it is definitely more buttery and rich on the palate. Melt it on burgers. Spread it on bread. Eat it with figs or dates. Eat it with caramelized walnuts. Eat it whilst doing a handstand in the shower. It's a treat.
     Lastly there is a great commercial that can be found online for Saint Agur. It features a happy couple simply sitting outside about to start a picnic involving a piece of Saint Agur. The man secretly rings his wife's phone under the table and she runs inside to get it. Whilst she is gone he eats all the Saint Agur and she is left angry and defeated! It's worth a watch! You Tube!


Cheese-o-meter rating: 7.5/10

Valdéon - The Boss of the Blues.

If you could spy on Spain from above and zoom in on the grand 'Picos De Europa' you would find lots of cheeses being produced. One of these such cheeses is made by two brothers, Tomas and Javier. The Alonso brothers produce Valdéon. In my opinion (not that it counts for anything!), Valdéon is without a shadow of a doubt on the medal table when I am selecting blue cheese. The climate on the Leon side of the Picos De Europa is milder than that of Picón and the resulting effect on the creation of this cheese is fantastic. Due to the fact the climate is less humid the blue mold is less encompassing and so the flavour is less intense as other blues. This does not compromise flavour at all. Predominantly a cow's milk cheese, it has everything. It's spicy. It has the right amount of salt. It looks great on a cheese board. And until recently it was definitely the most aesthetic blue cheese. Unfortunately the rind is no longer wrapped in sycamore leaves which just takes a notch off its crown. Overall though, it's a taste sensation! For an added bonus it tastes awesome with cider.

Cheese-o-meter rating: 9/10