Roquefort

Roquefort

Roquefort

Texture of Roquefort
Country of originFrance
RegionAveyron
TownRoquefort-sur-Soulzon
Source of milkEwe (sheep)
PasteurisedNo
TextureSemi-hard
Aging time5 months
CertificationAOC: 1925[1]
Named afterRoquefort-sur-Soulzon
Related media on Commons

Roquefort (French pronunciation: [ʁɔkfɔʁ]) is a sheep milk blue cheese from southern France.[2] Though similar cheeses are produced elsewhere, EU law dictates that only those cheeses aged in the natural Combalou caves of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon may bear the name Roquefort, as it is a recognised geographical indication, and has a protected designation of origin.

The cheese is white, tangy, creamy and slightly moist, with veins of blue mold. It has a characteristic fragrance and flavor with a taste of butyric acid; the blue veins provide a sharp tang. It has no rind; the exterior is edible and slightly salty. A typical wheel of Roquefort weighs between 2.5 and 3 kg (6 and 7 lb), and is about 10 cm (4 in) thick. Each kilogram of finished cheese requires about 4.5 liters of milk to produce. In France, Roquefort is often called the "King of Cheeses" or the "Cheese of Kings", although those names are also used for other cheeses.[3]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference inao was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Hughes, Tom; Hughes, Meredith Sayles (2005). Gastronomie!: Food Museums and Heritage Sites of France. Piermont, NH: Bunker Hill Publishing. p. 19. ISBN 1-59373-029-2.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference bw was invoked but never defined (see the help page).