Blue Cheese vs Cantal Cheese

Blue Cheese is a crumbly, creamy, semi-soft cow, goat, or sheep-milk cheese from France, while Cantal Cheese is firm and made from cow milk, originating in France.

What Is Blue Cheese?

Blue cheese is any cheese made with edible mold cultures that form blue-green spots and veins through the paste. It ranges from mild and slightly sweet to salty and sharp, and from almost liquid to hard.

What Is Cantal Cheese?

Cantal is a firm, uncooked cow's milk cheese from the Auvergne region of central France and one of the oldest cheeses in the country. Its tangy, buttery flavor recalls Cheddar and sharpens with age, from the mild jeune to the hard, nutty vieux.

What's the Difference Between Blue Cheese and Cantal Cheese?

• Milk type: Blue Cheese (Cow, Sheep, Goat), Cantal Cheese (cow's milk)
• Milk treatment: Blue Cheese (Pasteurized or Raw), Cantal Cheese (Raw)
• Texture: Blue Cheese (Crumbly, Creamy, Semi-Soft), Cantal Cheese (Firm)
• Rind: Blue Cheese (Natural), Cantal Cheese (Gray-white to golden)
• Aging: Blue Cheese (Typically aged 2-6 months), Cantal Cheese (Jeune: 30-60 days, Entre-Deux: 90-210 days, Vieux: >8 months)

Side-by-Side Comparison

Taste Comparison: Does Blue Cheese Taste Like Cantal Cheese?

Their flavor profiles are distinct. More specifically, Blue Cheese shows earthy, spicy, peppery, slightly sweet, umami, nutty, bitter, while Cantal Cheese leans toward jeune: soft, milk-and-butter. entre-deux: balanced, intense. vieux: powerful, spicy. diversity of grasslands contributes to flavor.. Aging plays into this as well. Blue Cheese at typically aged 2-6 months develops a different profile than Cantal Cheese at jeune: 30-60 days, entre-deux: 90-210 days, vieux: >8 months.

Can You Substitute Blue Cheese for Cantal Cheese?

Blue Cheese can stand in for Cantal Cheese in many dishes, but the switch will shift the overall character of the recipe. Expect crumbly, creamy, semi-soft bite and body where the recipe calls for firm.

Which Is Better, Blue Cheese or Cantal Cheese?

There's no single winner. It depends on your recipe and the profile you want. If you want a crumbly, creamy, semi-soft cheese, go with Blue Cheese. For a firm profile, Cantal Cheese is the better fit.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Blue Cheese the same as Cantal Cheese?

No, they're distinct cheeses. Blue Cheese is made from cow, goat, or sheep milk; Cantal Cheese uses cow. Aging also differs: Blue Cheese is typically aged typically aged 2-6 months, Cantal Cheese jeune: 30-60 days, entre-deux: 90-210 days, vieux: >8 months.

Is Blue Cheese similar to Cantal Cheese?

Not closely. They use different milk bases and have distinct profiles.

Can I substitute Blue Cheese for Cantal Cheese?

You can, but expect a shift in richness and milk character.

Does Blue Cheese taste like Cantal Cheese?

They have distinct flavor profiles. The taste row in the table above is the best direct comparison.

What is Blue Cheese made of?

Blue Cheese is made from cow, goat, or sheep milk (pasteurized or raw), using traditional (animal rennet) or microbial (varies by producer) rennet. It's typically aged typically aged 2-6 months. It originates in France.

What is Cantal Cheese made of?

Cantal Cheese is made from cow milk (raw), using rennet rennet. It's typically aged jeune: 30-60 days, entre-deux: 90-210 days, vieux: >8 months. It originates in France.

Which should I choose, Blue Cheese or Cantal Cheese?

It depends on the dish. The texture difference is the biggest practical tell. Blue Cheese is crumbly, creamy, semi-soft, while Cantal Cheese is firm.