Blue cheese is cheese ripened with a blue-green mold that grows in veins through the cheese. It's sharp, salty and tangy, and it ranges from creamy to crumbly. Roquefort, Gorgonzola and Stilton are the best known, but blue cheeses are made all over the world. This guide covers what makes blue cheese blue, the main kinds, how to eat and store it, and whether it's safe.
On this page
- Why is blue cheese blue?
- Types of blue cheese
- Blue cheese or bleu cheese?
- How to eat blue cheese
- How to store blue cheese
- Is blue cheese safe to eat?
Why is blue cheese blue?
The blue is mold. Cheesemakers add a mold, usually Penicillium roqueforti, to the milk or the curds. The mold needs air to grow, so the cheese is pierced with needles. Each hole lets air into the inside, and the mold grows along those channels, forming the veins. Depending on the mold, the veins can look blue, blue-green or green.
The mold also changes the cheese as it grows. It breaks down fat and protein, which is where blue cheese gets its sharp, tangy flavor. Some blue cheeses age in cool, damp caves, which suit the mold: Roquefort and Cabrales are both aged that way.
Most blue cheeses are made from cow's or sheep's milk. In the cheese world they're a type of their own, one of the seven types of cheese.
Types of blue cheese
Here are some of the best-known blue cheeses and where they come from.
| Cheese | From | Milk | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roquefort | France | Sheep | Only cheese ripened in the natural caves of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon can use the name |
| Gorgonzola | Italy | Cow | Protected name (DOP). Sold as creamy, milder Dolce or aged, sharper Piccante |
| Stilton | England | Cow | Protected name. Can only be made in Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire, using pasteurized milk |
| Danish Blue (Danablu) | Denmark | Cow | Protected name. Made in Denmark from Danish cow's milk |
| Mycella | Denmark (Bornholm) | Cow | A creamy Danish blue based on Gorgonzola, made on the island of Bornholm |
| Cabrales | Spain (Asturias) | Cow, sometimes mixed with sheep or goat | Protected name. Aged in mountain caves in the Picos de Europa |
| Maytag Blue | USA (Iowa) | Cow | Made by hand at Maytag Dairy Farms near Newton, Iowa, since 1941 |
Want to go deeper? The Joys of Gorgonzola explains the two styles, and St. Clemens Blue Cheese covers the Danish blues from Bornholm. For what the protected names mean, see What does DOP or PDO mean on a cheese?
Blue cheese or bleu cheese?
They're the same thing. Bleu is the French spelling of "blue." In English, "blue cheese" is the older and more common spelling. You'll see "bleu cheese" most often on salad dressing and restaurant menus, and sometimes on French-made cheeses. Neither is wrong.
How to eat blue cheese
- On a cheese board. Blue cheese goes well with sweet things like honey, pears or a glass of port. Give it its own knife, and keep it away from the mild cheeses. See how to build a cheese board.
- Crumbled. Over a salad, a baked potato or a steak.
- In a dressing or dip. Mash it into sour cream, mayonnaise or buttermilk for the classic blue cheese dressing.
- Melted. On a burger or stirred into a sauce.
- With a drink. See what wine or whiskey goes with cheese.
Take blue cheese out of the fridge about half an hour before you serve it, like other cheeses. Cold cheese tastes muted. For cutting soft, crumbly blue cheeses, see how to cut different cheeses.
Some blue cheeses have a natural rind, which isn't meant to be eaten. Gorgonzola is one. See Can I eat the rind of cheese?
How to store blue cheese
Store it like other cheeses: wrapped loosely in cheese paper, parchment or wax paper, not tight plastic. Keep it away from other cheeses and strong foods so its smell and flavor don't spread. All you ever wanted to know about cheese storage has the details.
The blue-green veins are meant to be there. What isn't normal is a cheese that's slimy or smells off in a way that has nothing to do with its usual funk. See how to tell if cheese has gone bad and how long cheese lasts.
Is blue cheese safe to eat?
For most people, yes. The mold in blue cheese is part of how it's made, and it's safe to eat.
If you're pregnant: the FDA lists blue-veined cheeses among the soft cheeses to avoid unless the label says they're made with pasteurized milk. The concern is Listeria, a bacteria that can be harmful to a pregnant woman and her baby. Some traditional blues, like Roquefort, are made from raw milk, so check the label, and ask your doctor if you're unsure. Read the FDA's advice on ready-to-eat foods during pregnancy, and see raw milk vs pasteurized milk cheese.
Vegetarian? It depends on the rennet used. Is cheese vegetarian?