Facts about Blue Cheese

1. 07

   A single wheel of Roquefort cheese contains roughly 500 million spores of Penicillium roqueforti distributed throughout its veining system.

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2. 06

   Oxygen exposure causes blue cheese's veins to develop their characteristic blue-green color through oxidation of the Penicillium mold's pigments.

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3. 05

   Stilton, England's only blue cheese with protected designation of origin status, can only be produced in Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, or Derbyshire using local milk.

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4. 04

   Gorgonzola, Italy's most prestigious blue cheese, must be aged for a minimum of 9-12 weeks in temperature-controlled caves to develop its characteristic veining and creamy texture.

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5. 03

   Approximately 100 kilograms of milk produces just 1 kilogram of blue cheese due to moisture loss during the aging and veining process.

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6. 02

   Roquefort cheese, the most famous blue cheese variety, must be aged in natural limestone caves near the French village of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon to legally bear that name.

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7. 01

   The Penicillium roqueforti mold used in blue cheese production was first isolated and cultured in 1905 by French scientist Marcelin Bertrand.

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