Kamil Perry
Blue Stilton is an English cheese with a strong smell and taste. It is made in the counties of Derbyshire, Leicestershire, and Nottinghamshire and has been granted protected designation of origin (PDO) status by the European Commission. The cheese gets its distinctive blue veins and flavour from the addition of Penicillium roqueforti, a type of saprotrophic fungus. Blue Stilton is commonly eaten with celery or pears, added to soups, or crumbled over salads. It is also traditionally paired with barley wine or port and is often enjoyed during the holiday season.
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What You'll Learn
Blue veins and flavour
Blue Stilton is known for its strong smell and taste. The blue veins and flavour are the result of the use of saprotrophic fungi, specifically Penicillium roqueforti, which is added to the cheese. This gives the cheese its characteristic blue veining and unique taste. The blue veins radiate from the centre of the cheese outwards. The cheese is also known for its crumbly, fudgy, dense, and buttery texture. The paste can range from dry and crumbly to almost fudge-like.
The blue veins and flavour of Stilton are also influenced by the use of locally produced and pasteurised milk from the three permitted counties of Derbyshire, Leicestershire, and Nottinghamshire. The cheese is named after the village of Stilton, now in Cambridgeshire, where it has long been sold, but it cannot be made there as it is not in one of the three permitted counties.
The blue veins of Stilton are said to have a mineral, wet-stone aroma, with notes of cocoa. The cheese is considered a milder blue cheese, with a light, bright, peppery blue flavour. The salty, savoury profile of Stilton is often balanced with something sweet, such as chocolate or Effie's Oatcakes.
The blue veins of Stilton are also important for the texture of the cheese. The cheese is known for its crumbly texture, which can vary in dryness. The blue veins contribute to the overall fudgy, dense, and buttery consistency of the cheese.
The ageing process also affects the blue veins and flavour of Stilton. As the cheese ages, the blue veins become more pronounced and the flavour becomes stronger and more intense. Proper storage is important to maintain the quality of the cheese, with softer blues lasting for about two weeks and harder blues staying fresh for up to two to three weeks when wrapped tightly and stored in the refrigerator.
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Strict production rules
There are strict production rules for Stilton cheese, which is produced in two varieties: blue and white. To be labelled as Stilton, the cheese must be made in one of three specific counties: Derbyshire, Leicestershire, or Nottinghamshire. This is due to its Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status granted by the European Commission. The cheese takes its name from the village of Stilton, now in Cambridgeshire, but it cannot be made there because it is not one of the three permitted counties.
The Original Cheese Company applied to amend the Stilton PDO to include the village, but the application was rejected in 2013. Stilton cheese was also once manufactured in Staffordshire by the Nuttall family, who opened a Stilton cheese factory in Uttoxeter in 1892, but this firm did not last long.
To be labelled as "Blue Stilton" in the EU, the cheese must also use exclusively locally produced and pasteurised milk. The blue veins and distinct flavour of Blue Stilton are due to the addition of Penicillium roqueforti, a type of saprotrophic fungus. White Stilton, on the other hand, does not have this mould introduced and thus does not have the blue veining normally associated with Stilton.
Stilton has a long history, dating back to at least the early 18th century. It is traditionally eaten at Christmas and paired with a barley wine or port, although it also goes well with sweet sherry or Madeira wine. It is often served with celery or pears and commonly added as a flavouring to vegetable soups.
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History and origin
Stilton is an English cheese, produced in two varieties: blue, which has Penicillium roqueforti added to generate a characteristic smell and taste, and white, which does not. The cheese takes its name from the village of Stilton, now in Cambridgeshire, where it has long been sold, but it cannot be made there because it is not one of the three permitted counties. According to the Stilton Cheesemaker's Association, the first person to market Blue Stilton cheese was Cooper Thornhill, owner of the Bell Inn on the Great North Road in Stilton. Tradition holds that in 1730, Thornhill discovered a distinctive blue cheese while visiting a small farm near Melton Mowbray in rural Leicestershire. He made a business arrangement that granted the Bell Inn exclusive marketing rights to Blue Stilton.
Frances Pawlett (or Paulet), a cheesemaker of Wymondham, Leicestershire, has traditionally been credited with setting up the modern Stilton cheese shape and style in the 1720s, but others have also been named. Early 19th-century research published by William Marshall supports the idea of a continuum between the locally produced cheese of Stilton and its later development. In his 1724 work, A Tour thro' the Whole Island of Great Britain, Daniel Defoe wrote:
> We pass'd Stilton, a town famous for cheese, which is call'd our English Parmesan, and is brought to table with the mites or maggots round it, so thick, that they bring a spoon with them for you to eat the mites with, as you do the cheese.
To be labelled as "Blue Stilton" in the EU, a cheese must be made in Derbyshire, Leicestershire or Nottinghamshire, and use exclusively locally produced and pasteurised milk. Both Blue and White Stilton have been granted the status of a protected designation of origin (PDO) by the European Commission, requiring that only cheese produced in these three counties may be called Stilton. Stilton cheese was also manufactured in Staffordshire. The Nuttall family of Beeby, Leicestershire, opened a Stilton cheese factory in Uttoxeter in 1892 to take advantage of the local milk and good transport links. However, this firm did not last long, and the site became a general dairy.
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Serving suggestions
Blue Stilton is often eaten with celery or pears. It is commonly added as a flavouring to vegetable soups, notably cream of celery or broccoli. It is otherwise eaten with various crackers, biscuits or bread. It can be used to make a blue cheese sauce to be served drizzled over a steak, or the cheese can be crumbled over a salad. Traditionally, a barley wine or port is paired with Blue Stilton, but it also goes well with sweet sherry or Madeira wine.
In terms of quantity, the intensity and texture of Blue Stilton vary, so the amount served can differ. For instance, an Italian Gorgonzola can be very creamy and quite low in salt for a blue cheese, whereas a British Stilton is dry, crumbly, and very sharp and salty.
Blue Stilton can be served in many ways, including:
- With salty crackers, fresh figs, some roasted almonds, and some jam or marmalade. Great marmalades to accompany the cheese include rosehip, fig, pear, and quince.
- As a dip for vegetables.
- On a burger—for example, with fried onions and a slice of melted blue cheese.
- Crumbled over a salad—it pairs great with bacon, some endives, romaine lettuce, and leeks.
- In gravy, especially if serving game like venison or anything similar, but it is also great with beef.
- With a spoonful of marmalade and seasoned with black pepper.
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Similar blue cheeses
Blue Stilton is best known for its strong smell and taste. Its distinctive blue veins are created by piercing the crust of the cheese with stainless steel needles, allowing air into the core. The blue veins and distinct flavour are also the result of the use of Penicillium roqueforti.
There are several blue cheeses that are made in a similar way to Blue Stilton. These include:
- Stichelton: This English blue cheese is virtually identical to Blue Stilton, but because it is made with raw milk, it cannot legally be called Stilton due to its PDO status. It has a buttery, creamy texture and a long, intricate flavour profile characterised by toasty, malty and milky sweetness.
- Oxford Blue: A semi-hard and creamy blue cheese made with English cow's milk. It has a milder flavour than Blue Stilton.
- Shropshire Blue: This cheese is similar to Stilton but is younger and therefore has a creamier flavour. It is made in the Stilton-producing regions of Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire and Derbyshire.
- Gorgonzola: This Italian blue cheese is made from cow's milk and has a greenish-blue colour.
- Roquefort: A French blue cheese made from ewe's milk.
- Fourme d'Ambert: Another French blue cheese, this one is made with cow's milk and comes from Auvergne.
- Danish Blue Cheese: Denmark also produces its own variety of blue cheese.
- Ruscello: A blue cheese from the Netherlands.
- Grand Noir: This handcrafted cow's milk cheese has a smooth, golden curd and a buttery texture marbled with blue veining. It was named the best blue cheese in the world by the World Cheese Championships.
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Frequently asked questions
Blue Stilton is made from cow's milk and gets its distinctive blue veins and flavour from the addition of Penicillium roqueforti. It is known for its strong smell and taste and has a creamy, crumbly, and smooth texture.
To be labelled as Stilton, the cheese must be produced in one of three counties in England: Derbyshire, Leicestershire, or Nottinghamshire.
Blue Stilton is known for its strong smell and taste. It has been described as milder, rich, and chocolaty, with notes of cocoa and a buttery flavour.
