Bogus Gold

First stop... Newton, Iowa:

Maytag Blue
Vegetarian, blue cheese of cylindrical shape made from cow's milk. It has been produced since 1920's when the Maytag's founded their family farm producing cheeses. This cheese is not produced in huge volumes as the cheesemakers want to keep the tradition of hand-made cheese and offer only best quality cheese to the customer. Maytag Blue has a crumbly texture and it reveals a very spicy flavor. The period of curing and maturing takes six months. Other cheeses from the production of Maytag Dairy Farm include White Cheddar and Edam. This cheese is used as a table cheese for dressings and salads.

When one thinks of world-class cheese, Iowa does not immediately leap to mind. Be that as it may, this cheese truly does have a well-earned worldwide following. It's on the milder/creamier side of the blue cheese spectrum. But that spiciness referenced in the description above makes this far from a wimp. What's more being fairly well known and regional to these parts this is fairly easy to find and relatively inexpensive for an excellent cheese.

Next stop... Cabrales, Spain:

Cabrales

A rough-rinded Spanish blue cheese. A renowned blue cheese from Northern Spain (region of Asturias) Cabrales is made from blended cow's, goat's and sheep's milk (not in winter when only cow's milk is available) . It is matured in naturally-formed caves and has a creamy texture, a complex flavor and a powerful bouquet. Cabrales is salted, wrapped in foil and matures for 6 months in natural limestone caverns. The locals are known to admire this cheese when it's almost totally blue and con gusano (with maggots) [There are different points of view on subject of maggots. We were contacted by some people from Spain and they denied the presence of maggots in Cabrales]. Similar cheeses include Picos de Europa and Valdeon.

The two things I like most about this cheese compared to other blue is its saltiness and a unique and powerful earthiness to the flavor. It may be so strong as to be offputting to those not accustomed to strong cheeses. This makes it a bit less suitable for standard blue cheese food pairings than other blues. But I consider it one of my very favorites. Fairly difficult to find around these parts, but well worth snatching up if you see it.

Next stop... jolly olde England:

Stilton
Historically referred to as "The King of Cheeses" Stilton is a blue-mould cheese with a rich and mellow flavor and a piquant aftertaste. It has narrow, blue-green veins and a wrinkled rind which is not edible. Stilton is milder than Roquefort or Gorgonzola, and is equally excellent for crumbling over salads or as a dessert cheese, served with a Port Wine. There are two types of Stilton: Blue and White Stilton. Rennet is added to milk at 86 degrees F and after an hour curd forms. The curd is drained and moulded. One week passes and then Stiltons are allowed to mature for 6 to 8 months.

Stilton's claim to being "The King of Cheeses" is far more deserved than Budweiser's claim to being "King of Beer." In Stilton there is a sublime balance of silky texture and rich flavor found perhaps nowhere else. Powerful, but not overpowering, Stilton is properly respected for its food friendliness as well as for enjoyment on its own with a traditional glass of port.

Nest stop... well let's just turn our heads a bit to the left right here in England to discover:

Shropshire Blue
The cheese was invented in Scotland at the beginning of the century. It is one of the vegetarian, creamery blue cheeses made from cow's milk. The cheese has a mild flavor and fantastic taste. Thanks to annato, the cheese has a deep orange-brown, natural rind. Shropshire Blue matures for a period of ten weeks and the content of fat is about 34 per cent.

The above description belies the nomadic existence of this wonderful cheese, invented in 1970 by Scottish cheesmaker Andy Williamson. It's now made in Nottinghamshire, England, and has carved out a niche for itself next to Stilton. It's a milder blue, despite its intense dark-orange with blue-green vein appearence. Most descriptions describe it as a cross between Stilton and Cheshire. That's a bit milder than I'd go, but it does seem to capture some of Cheshire's crumbly texture. A unique experience in the world of blue cheese.

Next stop... La France:

Roquefort
Roquefort is considered as the "King of cheeses". It has a tingly pungent taste and ranks among blue cheeses. Only the milk of specially bred sheep is used and is ripened in limestone caverns. It has the cylinder-shape with sticky, pale ivory, natural rind. Ripe Roquefort is creamy, thick and white on the inside and have a thin, burnt-orange skin. The ripening of the cheeses is in the natural, damp aired caves found under the village of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon. It is the quality of the milk, the processing of the curd, the adding of “Penicillium roqueforti” and finally the ripening in natural caves that give us this unique and remarkable cheese. The exterior aspect of a Roquefort should be white and faintly shiny. The “pâté” should be cohesive, at the same time slightly crumbly. This cheese has a distinct bouquet and a flavor that combines the sweet burnt-caramel taste of sheep's milk with the sharp, metallic tang of the blue mould. Also frequently added in dressings and salads.

Uh, oh. Another claimant to the crown of "King of Cheese." Seems appropriate for England and France to battle one another over that sort of thing. We foreigners can stand happily on the sidelines and simply enjoy both. And there is much to enjoy in Roquefort; a real powerhouse of a blue. Don't be fooled by domestic American cheeses labeled "roquefort." Only the real stuff counts. And once you have some you'll never have a hard time separating it from its pretenders again. If Stilton must be sampled with port, Roqeufort with fine Sauternes is its kingly rival.

Final stop... Northern Italy:

Gorgonzola
Gorgonzola is a traditional, creamery and co-operative, blue cheese. The greenish-blue penicillin mould imparts a sharp, spicy flavor and provides an excellent contrast to the rich, creamy cheese. Gorgonzola is made in the northern Italian village, according to which the cheese has its name, either from unpasteurized or pasteurized milk to which the mould is added. At about four weeks the cheeses are pierced with thick needles to encourage the spread of the mould. Gorgonzola ripens in three to six months. The cheese is usually wrapped in foil to keep it moist. Its color ranges from white to straw-yellow with an unmistakable marbled green or bluish-green mould. The taste ranges from mild to sharp, depending on age. Gorgonzola is also excellent in salads and dips.

Gorgonzola is another cheese the American consumer is often mislead about by domestic knock-offs. Take the time to find the real thing (I recommed the sharper mountain varieties) and you're in for a treat. A tad less powerful than Roquefort (usually - these things vary at times), this is still quite a powerful blue. I find it sharper and saltier than Roquefort.

This has only been a small window into the wide world of cheese. There are other blues I might have favoribly mentioned, but for the sake of brevity (ha!) I decided to stick to my personal favorites. If anyone out there feels I slighted another worthy blue, feel free to chime in.