Bleu des Causses Cheese vs Picodon Cheese
Bleu des Causses Cheese is a semisoft; blue-veined cow-milk cheese from France, while Picodon Cheese is homogeneous, smooth, and fine; can become crumbly if matured longer and made from goat milk.
What Is Bleu des Causses Cheese?
Bleu des Causses is a French blue cheese made from whole cow's milk and ripened three to six months in the limestone caves of the Gorges du Tarn. Many people treat it as a gentler cow's milk counterpart to Roquefort.
What Is Picodon Cheese?
Picodon is a small goat's milk cheese from the Rhône area of southern France, made mainly in the Ardèche and Drôme. Its name means spicy in Occitan, and it is known for a dry, fine paste that hardens and sharpens with age.
What's the Difference Between Bleu des Causses Cheese and Picodon Cheese?
- Milk type: Bleu des Causses Cheese (Cow’s milk), Picodon Cheese (Goat's milk)
- Texture: Bleu des Causses Cheese (Semisoft; Blue-veined), Picodon Cheese (Homogeneous, smooth, and fine; can become crumbly if matured longer)
- Aging: Bleu des Causses Cheese (At least 70 days and not more than 190 days), Picodon Cheese (Marketed starting 12 days after renneting; 30 days for "matured and washed" or "matured using the Dieulefit method")
- Taste: Bleu des Causses Cheese (Sweet yet spicy, not too salty or bitter), Picodon Cheese (Frank, capric with notes of nut and mushroom, occasional pungency)
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Bleu des Causses Cheese | Picodon Cheese | |
|---|---|---|
| Country of Origin | France | — |
| Specific Origin | Gorges Du Tarn, Languedoc Region; Five Cantons Of Aveyron (Campagnac, Cornus, Millau, Peyreleau, Saint Affrique), Trier (Gard), Pégairolles Of Escalette (Hérault) | Ardèche And Drôme Regions, Including Parts Of Gard And Vaucluse |
| Milk Type | Cow’s milk | Goat's milk |
| Milk Treatment | Raw | Raw, non-standardized, unhomogenized |
| Texture | Semisoft; Blue-veined | Homogeneous, smooth, and fine; can become crumbly if matured longer |
| Rind | — | Fine, lightly covered with uniform or speckled moulds |
| Aging | At least 70 days and not more than 190 days | Marketed starting 12 days after renneting; 30 days for "matured and washed" or "matured using the Dieulefit method" |
| Taste | Sweet yet spicy, not too salty or bitter | Frank, capric with notes of nut and mushroom, occasional pungency |
Taste Comparison: Does Bleu des Causses Cheese Taste Like Picodon Cheese?
Bleu des Causses Cheese reads as sweet yet spicy, not too salty or bitter, while Picodon Cheese brings frank, capric with notes of nut and mushroom, occasional pungency character. More specifically, Bleu des Causses Cheese shows sweet yet spicy, melting powerfully in the mouth, while Picodon Cheese leans toward nut, light notes of mushroom, occasional pungency, possible fermentative taste. Aging plays into this as well. Bleu des Causses Cheese at at least 70 days and not more than 190 days develops a different profile than Picodon Cheese at marketed starting 12 days after renneting; 30 days for "matured and washed" or "matured using the dieulefit method".
Can You Substitute Bleu des Causses Cheese for Picodon Cheese?
Bleu des Causses Cheese can stand in for Picodon Cheese in many dishes, but the switch will shift the overall character of the recipe. Expect semisoft; blue-veined bite and body where the recipe calls for homogeneous, smooth, and fine; can become crumbly if matured longer. Flavor-wise, Bleu des Causses Cheese reads as sweet yet spicy, not too salty or bitter while Picodon Cheese brings frank, capric with notes of nut and mushroom, occasional pungency notes.
Which Is Better, Bleu des Causses Cheese or Picodon Cheese?
There's no single winner. It depends on your recipe and the profile you want. If you want a semisoft; blue-veined cheese, go with Bleu des Causses Cheese. For a homogeneous, smooth, and fine; can become crumbly if matured longer profile, Picodon Cheese is the better fit. Flavor-wise, Bleu des Causses Cheese suits recipes that want sweet yet spicy, not too salty or bitter notes, while Picodon Cheese fits dishes calling for frank, capric with notes of nut and mushroom, occasional pungency.
Which is your favorite?
One click, anonymous. See what others chose.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Bleu des Causses Cheese the same as Picodon Cheese?
No, they're distinct cheeses. Bleu des Causses Cheese is made from cow milk; Picodon Cheese uses goat. Aging also differs: Bleu des Causses Cheese is typically aged at least 70 days and not more than 190 days, Picodon Cheese marketed starting 12 days after renneting; 30 days for "matured and washed" or "matured using the dieulefit method".
Is Bleu des Causses Cheese similar to Picodon Cheese?
Not closely. They use different milk bases and have distinct profiles.
Can I substitute Bleu des Causses Cheese for Picodon Cheese?
You can, but expect a shift in richness and milk character.
Does Bleu des Causses Cheese taste like Picodon Cheese?
Bleu des Causses Cheese reads as sweet yet spicy, not too salty or bitter, while Picodon Cheese is frank, capric with notes of nut and mushroom, occasional pungency.
What is Bleu des Causses Cheese made of?
Bleu des Causses Cheese is made from cow milk (raw). It's typically aged at least 70 days and not more than 190 days. It originates in France.
What is Picodon Cheese made of?
Picodon Cheese is made from goat milk (raw, non-standardized, unhomogenized), using small amount used, lactic coagulation rennet. It's typically aged marketed starting 12 days after renneting; 30 days for "matured and washed" or "matured using the dieulefit method".
Which should I choose, Bleu des Causses Cheese or Picodon Cheese?
It depends on the dish. The texture difference is the biggest practical tell. Bleu des Causses Cheese is semisoft; blue-veined, while Picodon Cheese is homogeneous, smooth, and fine; can become crumbly if matured longer.