Randy Chandler
Blue cheese is a beloved food item that is enjoyed by many and is often paired with drinks such as stout, gin and tonic, or a fruity and sweet white wine. The process of making blue cheese involves adding the mold culture to the cheese milk, and then piercing the cheese with thin needles or skewers to allow oxygen to reach the inside and activate the mold. The mold in blue cheese is from one or more strains of the genus Penicillium, and the cheesemaking process is extremely controlled and intentional. Blue cheese is often served as an appetizer or side dish, such as with hot wings, and is known to cut down on the heat of spicier foods.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Legend | A young boy's abandoned meal in a cave was found months later, transformed into Roquefort blue cheese by the mold (Penicillium roqueforti) |
| First blue cheese | Roquefort |
| Oldest known blue cheese | Gorgonzola, created around AD 879 |
| Relatively new blue cheese | Stilton, becoming popular in the early 1700s |
| 20th-century blue cheeses | Danablu and Cambozola |
| Production phases | Two: culturing of spore-rich inocula and fermentation for flavor |
| Inoculum | Penicillium roqueforti |
| Milk | Autoclaved, homogenized |
| Incubation temperature | 21–25 °C (70–77 °F) |
| Incubation time | 3-4 days |
| Secondary culture | Pencillium Roqueforti |
| Flavor development | Rapid |
| Blue cheese flavor development time | 60–90 days |
| Blue cheese serving | Eaten by itself or spread, crumbled, or melted into or over foods |
| Blue cheese pairings | Dark stout, gin and tonic, fruity and sweet white wine, beer, fresh pear, citrus fruit, and walnuts |
| Blue cheese appetizers | Blue cheese stuffed celery |
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What You'll Learn
- Blue cheese is served with wings in Buffalo, New York, where it originated
- It is served as an appetiser to reduce the heat of spicy foods
- It is often stuffed into celery and served as a side dish
- It is served with fresh pear, citrus fruit, and walnuts
- It is paired with a stout, gin and tonic, or a sweet white wine
Blue cheese is served with wings in Buffalo, New York, where it originated
The famous Buffalo wing was invented in 1964 in Buffalo, New York, at a tavern called the Anchor Bar. The Anchor Bar is credited with creating the modern Buffalo wing, and blue cheese has been a staple on its menu. The story goes that co-owner Teressa Bellissimo, along with her husband Frank, served wings to their son Dominic and his hungry friends who had come to the bar late at night. Teressa threw together some wings, margarine, and hot sauce, thus birthing a regional and then national wing obsession. She served the wings with house blue cheese dressing and celery sticks that she had on hand from making an antipasto salad. The high water content of the celery and the cool tang of the blue cheese complemented the hot, greasy, and salty taste of the wings.
The Anchor Bar had also been serving blue cheese stuffed celery as an appetizer before the invention of the Buffalo wing. This could explain why Teressa Bellissimo chose to serve blue cheese with her early plates of hot wings. Blue cheese has been a fixture of wing orders served at restaurants in Buffalo for as long as most can remember. Even as ranch dressing became the preferred side for many U.S. wing restaurants, Buffalo has always sworn by its blue cheese.
The city of Buffalo even has a Buffalo Wing Festival, with an eating contest and bobbing for wings. The original Anchor Bar still serves its famous wings, blue cheese, and celery, and there are also franchise outlets in New York, Texas, Maryland, Ohio, and Georgia.
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It is served as an appetiser to reduce the heat of spicy foods
Blue cheese is a general classification of cheeses characterised by blue, blue-grey, or green veins of mould throughout. The mould is typically a strain of the genus Penicillium, specifically Penicillium roqueforti, which is added to the cheese milk. The cheesemaking process involves piercing the cheese with thin needles or skewers to allow oxygen to reach the inside, thus facilitating the growth of the blue mould.
One of the earliest blue cheeses, Roquefort, is said to have originated when a young boy's bread and ewes' milk cheese was left in a cave and became infested with Penicillium roqueforti. Other well-known blue cheeses include Gorgonzola, Stilton, Shropshire Blue, Cambozola, and Danablu.
Blue cheese is often served as an appetiser, and one of its notable pairings is with hot wings. The creamy, salty, and pungent characteristics of blue cheese can help reduce the heat of spicy foods, making it a popular choice for those who enjoy a spicy kick without being overwhelmed by the heat.
In Buffalo, New York, blue cheese has been a staple accompaniment to wings since the 1960s, when Teressa Bellissimo first served her famous hot wings with blue cheese and celery. The Anchor Bar, the restaurant where Bellissimo created this iconic pairing, has become a mecca for wing lovers worldwide, and its legacy continues to influence the wing-eating culture in Buffalo and beyond.
When serving blue cheese as an appetiser to temper the heat of spicy dishes, it is often presented in various forms, such as crumbled, stuffed, or as a dip or dressing. The creamy texture and rich flavour of blue cheese provide a pleasant contrast to the spiciness of the main course, making it a popular choice for those who appreciate a balance of flavours and sensations on their palate.
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It is often stuffed into celery and served as a side dish
Blue cheese is a versatile food that can be eaten on its own or spread, crumbled, or melted into or over other dishes. One popular way to serve blue cheese is stuffed into celery as a side dish or appetizer. This combination of blue cheese and celery is particularly well-known in Buffalo, New York, where it has been served alongside the city's famous chicken wings since at least the 1960s.
The Anchor Bar, credited with creating the original Buffalo wing, included "blue cheese stuffed celery" on its menu in the 1960s, around the same time that the wings were first introduced. The cool, crisp celery provides a refreshing contrast to the rich, creamy blue cheese, making this pairing a classic choice for a side dish or appetizer.
While the exact reasons for this pairing may be unclear, one theory suggests that the blue cheese was chosen to help cut down on the heat of the spicy wings. Blue cheese is often preferred as a side dish in Buffalo, even as ranch dressing has become a more popular choice for wing dipping sauces in other parts of the United States.
Blue cheese-stuffed celery can be a delicious and elegant addition to any meal. When selecting blue cheese for this dish, consider classic options like Roquefort, Gorgonzola, or Stilton, or explore newer varieties like Point Reyes Original Blue or Cashel Blue. As for drinks, a dark stout, gin and tonic, or a fruity and sweet white wine can complement the strong flavours of blue cheese.
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It is served with fresh pear, citrus fruit, and walnuts
Blue cheese is a polarising ingredient due to its bold, sharp, tangy flavour. Its strong nature and acidity allow for sweeter pairings. Blue cheese is often paired with fruit spreads, chutneys, and savory jams.
One such pairing is blue cheese and fresh pear. Pears are a great vessel for blue cheese, as they can be stuffed with blue cheese and baked in the oven. The sweetness of the pear balances the sharpness of the blue cheese. The addition of walnuts, honey, and thyme creates a complex and elegant flavour profile.
Blue cheese is also commonly served with walnuts. The sweetness of toasted walnuts rounds out the sharpness of the blue cheese. This combination can be made into a creamy dip or served as blue cheese-walnut toasts.
Citrus fruits are also a good pairing with blue cheese. The acidity of the citrus balances the richness of the blue cheese. Blue cheese can be paired with a variety of citrus fruits, such as oranges, lemons, or limes. The bold flavour of blue cheese can stand up to the acidity of citrus, creating a refreshing and flavourful combination.
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It is paired with a stout, gin and tonic, or a sweet white wine
Blue cheese is a versatile treat that can be paired with a variety of drinks, from stout to gin and tonic, and sweet white wine. Each pairing brings out different qualities in the cheese, and the cheese enhances the drinking experience too.
Stouts, with their roasted malt flavours, complement the creaminess of a full-fat blue cheese. The roasted flavours of the stout and the acidity of the cheese work together to create a balanced taste experience. A classic pairing is a Bourbon barrel-aged stout with Bayley Hazen Blue, a Stilton-style blue from Jasper Hill Farm. The sweet notes of vanilla and chocolate in the stout are a perfect match for the saltiness of the blue cheese.
Gin and tonic is a classic cocktail pairing with soft and creamy cheeses, like Camembert and Brie. The gin brings out the floral notes in these cheeses, and the bitterness of the tonic rinses the palate. Blue Castello is another blue cheese that takes on delightful floral notes when paired with a gin and tonic.
Blue cheese also pairs well with sweet white wines, particularly dessert or fortified wines, which offset the bitterness of the veining in the cheese. A classic pairing is Sauternes with Roquefort. The sweetness and body of Sauternes is a perfect foil to the salt and acidity of the blue cheese. Other sweet wines that work well with blue cheese include Monbazillac, Cadillac, and New World sweet wines. A smooth Italian white wine like a Gavi di Gavi is a good choice when eating a blue cheese and fresh fig salad, as the wine is mellowed by the addition of milk or cream.
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Frequently asked questions
Blue cheese is served with wings because it cuts down on the heat of the dish.
Blue cheese is often served with a dark stout, a gin and tonic, or a fruity and sweet white wine. Beer is also considered a good pairing.
Blue cheese is often served with celery or pears, citrus fruits, and walnuts.
Blue cheese is a general classification of cheeses that have had cultures of the mold Penicillium added so that the final product is spotted or veined with blue, blue-grey, or green mold.
Blue cheese is made by adding Penicillium roqueforti to autoclaved, homogenized milk via a sterile solution. This solution is incubated for 3-4 days, then salt and/or sugar is added before continuing incubation for another 1-2 days. Curds are then ladled into containers and drained, and the Penicillium roqueforti inoculum is sprinkled on top along with Brevibacterium linens. Curds are then formed into cheese loaves, drained, and salted before being ripened and aged.
