Roquefort

Roquefort is one of the world's best-known blue cheeses and is believed to have been discovered purely by chance. According to the story, a young shepherd from Roquefort-sur-Soulzon caught sight of a beautiful girl while grazing his sheep. Stowing away his provisions of bread and sheep's cheese in a cool cave, he ran after her. When he returned a few days later, hungry and looking forward to the food he had hidden earlier, he found the bread and cheese covered in mould. Driven by hunger, he ate the mouldy cheese. To his amazement, the sheep's cheese had taken on a delicious new flavour – and this is how Roquefort is said to have come into being.

In 1925, Roquefort was the first French cheese to receive AOC certification (controlled designation of origin). The cheese is thus protected against unauthorized reproduction and may only be manufactured in certain regions. Owing to the high demand for this cheese, the sheep's milk is now also sourced from the nearby Pyrenees and the island of Corsica. Nevertheless, the pre-produced cheese always spends its final three weeks ripening in the Roquefort caves.

Roquefort tastes delicious on a slice of rye bread, but it is also a perfect choice for salads and gratins as it melts very easily.

Origin: France (Roquefort-sur-Soulzon, Averyon)

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Varieties

Le Roquefort Papillon noir

This traditional raw sheep's milk cheese with blue mould has a ripening period of 90 days. After this time, this full-fat semi-hard cheese develops an intense, pleasantly tangy and slightly salty flavour. The cheese has a soft texture and is predominantly white with lots of blue holes and veins.

Roquefort Société

Roquefort Société is also ready for consumption after 90 days. This cheese has an ivory-coloured paste with greenish holes and veins caused by mould. The distinctive sheep's milk aroma combined with the mild mouldy taste create a unique balance. This full-fat semi-hard cheese has a soft texture that melts slowly in the mouth.